


One Hunter's Rescue, Another's Amends

by MaggiesAngel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Dean, Alpha Sam Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, F/M, Forgiveness, Gentle Dean Winchester, Gentle Sex, Guilty Sam Winchester, Healing, Kissing, Knotting, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Oral Sex, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Soulless Sam, Protective Dean Winchester, Protective Sam Winchester, Sex, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-09 01:55:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15256857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaggiesAngel/pseuds/MaggiesAngel
Summary: Mackenzie used to trust both the Winchesters with her life, but everything changed when she was captured and held hostage for years.After finding his old friend chained up at an illegal omega whorehouse, Dean Winchester learns that when his brother Sam was soulless, he frequently visited the house...and did the unthinkable. The younger Winchester feels guilt for his part in the abuse Mackenzie's endured and for not rescuing her sooner.Mackenzie doesn't know if she can trust Sam ever again. With no other family, she has no other choice but to return to the men's bunker to heal. Can she trust Sam's reasons for acting the way he did and believe he truly has changed? And what will she do when her body heals enough that her heats return?





	1. Chapter 1

The brothers hurried from bedroom to bedroom, freeing the omegas from the chains as they went. But when they got to the last room and opened it with their guns drawn, in case of an attack, Dean froze when he saw the woman curled at the head of the bed. She was bloodied and bruised, a sheet wrapped around her body, and a heavy steel collar was shackled around her neck with a chain locked to the bedframe. The shock was greater when he recognized her. “Mackenzie?”

“Here for a visit, boys?” she asked, deadpan.

Dean holstered his gun, saw his brother do the same from the corner of his eye, as he rushed forward and pulled out his lockpick. “Son of a bitch, Mack,” he muttered. “What the hell are you doing here?”

She stared at him and laughed humourlessly. “What all good little omegas should be doing. We’re just holes for alphas to fill. Isn’t that right, Sam?” Mackenzie’s gaze moved past Dean to the younger Winchester, who hadn’t been able to meet her eyes since they had entered the room.

Dean frowned at her dark tone while he unlocked the collar and opened it. He turned to see his brother had stayed near the door, and he shook his head. “Sammy, what’s she talking about?”

“Your brother was a frequent visitor when I was at a different house,” Mackenzie replied when the taller man stayed silent. “Once he stopped coming to visit, they moved me; just in case the famous Winchester honour had kicked in… But for a while there, I seem to recall him telling me I was his favourite girl. He liked it even better if I happened to be in heat. The houses were the perfect place for alphas who just needed somewhere to pop their knots, without the hassles of buying drinks or dinners… Wasn’t that how you put it, Sam?”

“Sam, what the hell?” Dean demanded, with a growl that deepened his voice.

“Back when I didn’t have a soul,” the younger Winchester replied softly, his voice laden with guilt. “Mackenzie, I can’t even begin to apologize for what I did.”

She turned away from him, back to Dean. “If you’re not here for that, what _are_ you doing here, then?”

“We’re closing the place down, sweetheart,” he replied and cupped her face. “Most of the girls seemed to have places to go; families looking for them. I know you don’t, so we’re taking you with us.” Mackenzie stiffened, but Dean stroked her cheek. “Mack, you’re safe. I promise, the Sam you knew at the house… It’s complicated, but I can explain, and it wasn’t really him, okay?”

She looked past Dean to silently study the taller brother, then met Dean’s green eyes again and nodded. “Okay,” she replied hesitantly. She tried to push to her feet, but her body was weak, and she fell against him.

“Hey. Hey, easy,” Dean said softly. He sighed when she tried to push off him, attempting and failing to stand on her own again, and he pulled out the keys to the Impala, tossing them to Sam. “Mack, let me carry you, Sammy can drive, okay?”

With a frustrated sound, she slumped and nodded again. Mackenzie stiffened, her teeth gritted when he lifted her gently and cradled her against his chest; there wasn’t a part of her that didn’t hurt. Dean quickly walked out of the house, Sam behind them, his gun drawn just in case, but her eyes glanced over the bodies of the men that littered their path outside.

When they reached the Impala, Dean nodded to the back-passenger door for his brother to open it. When he tried to crawl into the back seat with Mackenzie in his arms, but she pushed at his shoulders. “I need to lay on my side, alone,” she protested. “My back, my ribs… I ache everywhere.”

Dean frowned but nodded. “All right,” he agreed. He gently set her across the back seat, then he moved around to the other side. He pulled off his leather jacket and folded it to offer as a pillow. “Sammy, get the blanket from the trunk.”

Mackenzie laid her head on the worn leather and let out a shuddering breath as her body tried to relax. She closed her eyes, felt Dean’s hand while he stroked her hair, but when she felt his younger brother looming over her, she stiffened. Sam backed away quickly and closed the door without a word, but she felt Dean still crouched by her head. Mackenzie’s breath came in short pants, even as he shushed her softly.

“Breathe, sweetheart,” he whispered while he settled the blanket up to her shoulders. “You’re safe, and no one is gonna hurt you, okay?” He watched her nod slightly before he closed the door, walked around to the passenger side and slid in. “Try and get some sleep, Mackenzie. We’re gonna get you out of here.”

She waited until the car was underway then opened her eyes. “I won’t sleep,” Mackenzie replied heavily. “It’s not that I don’t want to, believe me. But they kept us all so pumped up on damned stimulants; had to make sure we’d be ready in case an alpha came to call.”

Dean shared a look with his brother, who was driving, then turned and handed her a bottle of water. “Anything I can do?”

Sam glanced in the mirror and watched as she shook her head. “You need to see a doctor, Mackenzie,” he said gently. He watched her flinch at the sound of his voice, his hands gripped the wheel in response, but he continued. “Dean, what about Sheriff Mills?”

“Yeah, she’s not far from here.”

“No police,” she muttered from the back seat, her voice tense.

“Easy, Mack. Jody Mills; she’s a Sheriff, yeah, but she knows all about the life. We met her through Bobby,” Dean explained. “She’s a beta, subtle, and I’m sure she’ll know someone who can take a look at you, not through official channels, okay?” He was sitting sideways so he could see her easily in the back, while Sam stared out the front. When Mackenzie nodded, he scrolled through his contacts and glanced at his brother. He dialled but left he phone on speaker. “Sheriff Mills, it’s Dean Winchester,” he greeted.

“Dean, been a while. How’re things?”

He glanced into the backseat and let out a soft sigh. “Jody, I need a favour. Sam and I, we took down an illegal omega house, but we found a friend there and she’s in…rough shape,” Dean explained. “We need a doctor, someone off the radar, who’s good.”

“Damned houses,” the woman muttered with venom. “Yeah, I got someone, and the doctor’s a woman; Mia Jackson. How far are you guys?”

“About 45 minutes,” Sam replied.

“I’ll message Mia, give her the heads-up, and send you her address,” Jody replied. “And I’ll meet you there; she does all of this kind of work from her house, just out of town.”

“Thanks, Jody, we appreciate this,” Dean said. He turned back to look at Mackenzie and fought the frown that wanted to cross his face; he knew the omega would misinterpret his annoyance, and likely think he was upset with her. “Try and rest if you can, Mack.”

She nodded and took a large drink of water and groaned when her stomach cramped; Mackenzie had only been allowed small sips at the house, and she was so thirsty. “Can you put on music? I can’t… It’s too quiet,” she murmured.

The brothers glanced at her, but she would not meet their eyes. “Yeah, of course,” Dean replied.

Mackenzie stared at the back of the front seats and listened to the sounds of classic rock that filled the Impala.

*****

Sam followed Dean’s directions from the GPS on his phone carefully, down a back road. He turned into a long driveway to a ranch-style house surrounded by woods and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Jody walk out the front door with another woman.

The brothers got out, and Dean opened the back door of the car to reach in and gently gathered Mackenzie into his arms. She whimpered and curled into his chest; he could smell the blood that had soaked into the sheet still wrapped around her body. His jaw clenched, and he watched the eyes on the women widen at Mackenzie’s condition. Jody waved for him to follow, and she quickly led them through a side door to what looked like a garage.

The brother’s eyes looked around in shock as they realized that, though it looked like a double car garage from the outside, on the inside was something else. A surgical table was the main focus of the room with lighting and instruments ready around it. Cupboards lined with supplies outlined the walls, and an actual hospital bed sat at the far end and under a window.

Dean felt Mackenzie stiffen in his arms, and he looked down with a frown when he saw her wide eyes glued to the women she didn’t know. “What wrong, Mack?”

“She’s an alpha,” she whispered in fear, her eyes locked onto the taller of the two women.

The doctor heard the woman’s words and turned with a gentle smile. “Yes, I am,” she agreed. “But I can assure you, you’re not the first omega I’ve treated; some have run from horrible situations, others were coming from omega houses like I hear you are. Your alpha brought you here because they trust Jody; so, trust him.”

“Easy there, doc; Mackenzie’s a hunter,” Dean corrected. “She doesn’t have a master.”

The tall blonde nodded and motioned to the surgical table. “My apologies. My name’s Mia,” she introduced. “And I can smell the blood; please, let me examine you.”

Dean waited and stared down at the woman in his arms; he would not release Mackenzie until she was ready. She nodded and said, “I can’t lay on my back, though.”

“Do you think you can sit, for now, Mackenzie?” Mia asked gently. When the woman nodded, Mia motioned to Dean, then said, “I know you’re scared, and if you want them to stay, I understand. But, I am going to have to give you a thorough exam.”

Mackenzie sat on the edge of the bed, her body stiff, and Dean still held her hands. She glanced up at him briefly but dropped her eyes; she knew if the brothers saw the full extent of her injuries, they would be enraged. The idea of staying with a strange alpha terrified her, however. She had no idea what to do.

“Why don’t you boys go into the main house. I can stay with you, Mackenzie, if you’re okay with that,” Jody offered.

Dean heard her swallow and could feel her shivering against him. He touched her chin, pulled her gaze up to meet his and gave her a small smile. “We won’t be far, sweetheart’,” he assured. “And when you’re fixed up, we’ll hit the road and get you settled into a comfortable bed, okay? But you need to be looked at, and you’re hurt worse than me or Sammy can look after.” He watched her flinch at the mention of his brother, and he leaned in to whisper in her ear, “No one is gonna hurt you like that again, I promise. Not Sam, not anyone else. I won’t let them, hear me?”

She nodded and let out a small sigh. “I’ll be okay, you can go,” she whispered.

“There’s my girl,” he said with a nod. Dean stroked her cheek and nodded at her one last time before he followed Sam out of the room, down a hallway that led to the main house.

Mia stepped in front of Mackenzie and said, “First, let’s get you out of that sheet, so I can see how you look, alright?” When she nodded, Mia and Jody helped her stand and unwrapped the fabric, letting the bloody material fall to the floor. Only years of medical practice kept Mia’s face schooled to a blank expression. “Okay, Mackenzie. Something I’d like to do is an Epsom salt bath; it’ll clean off the blood that’s dried on your skin, sterilize the wounds in a way that’s less painful than anything else that I have, and you can relax for a little while. I know it’s going to hurt, and I am sorry for that.”

“I just need some help getting there, and get it over with,” she replied. Mackenzie waited while the doctor disappeared to ready the bath. She let the women help her walk over to the tub that was partially hidden behind a tile half-wall and gingerly stepped into it. The water was warm and stung the open wounds. Mackenzie understood the doctor’s reasons; the bath would disinfect her wounds, soften her dried skin, and allow her body to relax somewhat before the painful process of stitches would start.

“If you can, lean back against the edge, and I’ll wash your hair, Mackenzie,” Mia said gently. “I’ll get the blood out and see if you have any wounds on your head.”

Mackenzie managed to lean back against the wrought iron tub, even though the injuries on her back protested. She whimpered softly and clenched her eyes closed, her hands gripped the edges of the tub. She was surprised when she felt a hand gently touch one of hers. When Mackenzie opened her eyes, the sheriff was there.

“Take my hand, Mackenzie; let me help take your mind off it if I can,” Jody offered.


	2. Chapter 2

It was over two hours later when the women entered Mia’s kitchen to see Dean pacing, and Sam standing tensely in the corner with his arms crossed. Jody walked straight to the fridge and pulled out four beers and handed them out. “She’s resting, guys,” Jody assured.

“The stimulants they had her pumped full of?” Sam asked, voice tense.

“I managed to give her something to counteract them,” Mia replied with a nod. “She was incredibly dehydrated, it took more times than I liked to get an IV into her. And, I know you wanted to get on the road, but I can’t let you move her just yet.”

“What’s wrong?” Dean asked, immediately concerned.

Mia sighed and took a long drink from her bottle. “Those houses don’t exactly check for… Well, anything; the girls are never looked at by doctors. I want to run full panels of bloodwork, but I can’t do that just yet.”

“Because of the dehydration,” Sam guessed. When the doctor nodded, he saw his brother look between them. “Her results wouldn’t show anything but a mess; everything would be skewed, and nothing would be accurate.”

Dean growled and killed is beer. “Fine. Mackenzie won’t be happy.”

“I’ve sedated her, so I’m hoping she’ll sleep for at least a few hours; that should give me the time I need to get her better hydrated and run the bloodwork,” Mia replied. “I lost count of how many sutures I put in her back, her thighs... And I’m glad I stocked up on blood recently; she’s getting a transfusion as well, right now. Although I can’t see her numbers yet, I’m almost positive giving her one is a good move.”

“Son of a bitch,” Dean muttered.

“The transfusion’s a good thing, Dean,” Jody reminded him. “Means she should start healing sooner too.”

“Yeah, I know. I still don’t know how the hell she got caught by one of those places; she was a hell of a hunter. Doesn’t make any sense.” Mia handed him another beer, and he nodded in thanks. “How bad was everything, doc?”

The woman’s face closed down and she shook her head. “Mackenzie’s entire body is covered in bruises,” Mia replied. “Her back looks like she was caned, or whipped, or both; I’m honestly not sure which. The majority of the sutures were on her back, which was why she said she couldn’t lay on it; I can’t imagine how excruciating it felt. Her wrists and ankles look like they were bound with ropes at some point; they were rubbed raw and bleeding, so I’ve wrapped them. Her neck from the collar I'm sure she was wearing is in rough shape, though hidden beneath her hair. Her abdomen…” The doctor finished her own beer and stared down at it before she looked back up at the men. “She was kicked, from what I can tell; the bruises are very dark. Should I keep going?”

“No, I… I think we got it,” Dean replied hoarsely.

“I’m going to go check on her,” Mia said gently. “I want to monitor her condition closely.”

As she started to leave, Dean stood. “Thanks, doc,” he said, his voice soft but sincere. “For all of this.”

Doctor Jackson offered a small smile. “When Jody called me, she said you two don’t often ask for favours, and if you were asking, it was serious,” she replied. “I’m glad you brought her here, and that I can help. Relax if you can, boys; there’s a spare bedroom upstairs, first door on your right. Get some sleep if you need it, shower, whatever you need. You’ve got some time.”

Dean spared a glance at his brother as she disappeared down the hallway. “Sammy…”

“I’m gonna call Bobby, let him know what’s going on,” the younger Winchester interrupted. He spared a glance, then headed outside without another word.

“Dammit,” Dean sighed and ran a hand over his face.

Jody watched the exchange and went over to the fridge, pulled out two more beers, and came back to the table. “Okay, now that it’s just the two of us; wanna tell me what’s going on, Dean?” she asked gently.

The alpha looked at her and took the beer she offered. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on. I know you boys well enough by now,” Jody replied. “I get Mackenzie knows you two; you said she was a hunter, but she’s an omega. You found her in an illegal house, and she’s… Dean, she’s in rough shape.” Jody watched as his jaw clenched, but she put out her hand in a placating manner. “Between you and your brother, most people are more comfortable with Sam. No offense, but he’s closer to a beta in personality unless he’s working to intimidate. You come across as alpha, all the time; Sam doesn’t. But Mackenzie is drawing away from him, clinging to you, and Sam is trying to put as much distance between the pair of them as he can. Right now, he can barely meet your eyes. Now, if you and Mackenzie were mated, I could understand, but you told Mia that Mackenzie’s a free omega. So… What’s going on?”

Dean stared down at the beer bottle in his hand and frowned; none of what she was saying was wrong. He normally wouldn’t have let anyone question the situation, and he debated even telling Jody to go to hell… But Bobby wasn’t here, and he could use someone to talk to. He stood and walked to the window, looked outside to see his brother on the phone.

“If I’ve overstepped, Dean, I’m sorry,” Jody said when the silence stretched.

“No, it’s not that,” he replied, then chuckled humourlessly. “Not really. Just, hard to explain. Did you know, a few years ago, Sam went to hell to avoid the apocalypse?” Dean turned to see Jody give a small nod, and he nodded in response. “When he came back, when he  _ first _ came back, only his body did. His soul… Well, that got left behind in Lucifer’s cage.”

“Geezus,” Jody whispered.

Dean nodded and took a drink from his beer. “Yeah. Problem is, he spent a long while without his soul; I wasn’t around for part of it,” he explained, turned back to look outside. “And apparently… Apparently, he visited some of the illegal houses. And he saw Mackenzie there. More than once.” He turned and saw the shocked look on Jody’s face, remembered the feeling in his gut when he’d first learned the fact back at the house. “Mackenzie doesn’t know that yes, it  _ was _ Sam, but… It wasn’t, you know?”

“Did you know?” she asked gently.

“No, I found out when we found her,” he replied and ran a hand through his hair. “Some of the things he said to her… I saw him, without his soul, and… He was like the Terminator, Jody. No emotions, no pain, no sympathy, no empathy, just robotic. Hell, he didn't even sleep. When we put his soul back, he didn’t remember any of it at first; we had to be careful not to break his mind.”

Jody nodded as she processed. “Time in hell wouldn’t exactly be worth remembering, I wouldn’t think,” she said with a sigh. “And then, everything he did while he didn’t have a soul… You boys don’t like to do anything the easy way, do you?”

Dean snorted. “Seems not,” he sighed.

She studied him closely, a smile played at her lips. “You and Mackenzie were close, years ago.” When he smiled and nodded, Jody hugged her knee and asked, “Tell me, how does an omega end up as a hunter, anyway?”

He laughed and came back to sit next to her. “Oh, that would be her father’s doing,” Dean replied. “Jason Cole; he served with my dad, and his wife left him and Mackenzie when Mack was just a baby; I never even knew her name. But… Jason wanted a son and an alpha; he got a daughter and an omega. He wasn’t happy, but he wasn’t one to abandon a baby, either. So, he raised Mack like a boy, and ignored the fact she was an omega.”

“What about when she went into heat?” Jody asked incredulously.

Dean grinned. “Well, that would be when she and I got to know one another quite well,” he replied.

Jody laughed. “Ahh,” she replied.

“She would just call me, we’d meet. Jason acted like nothing was happening; like she was going off on a case on her own or something. Mack was… She was this tomboy, really. Hell, she even dressed like me and Sammy; t-shirt and flannel with her jeans, hair pulled back. Never wore makeup. She did nothing to draw attention to the fact she was a woman because her father just couldn’t handle it,” Dean finished with a grimace. “Anyway, after her heat was over, she’d go back to hunting with her dad. And later, on her own.”

“Not that anyone was thrilled with that,” Sam added as he re-joined them.

Dean glanced up, met his eyes, and nodded. “It’s…the biggest reason we haven’t seen Mackenzie in years. We had a bit of a…disagreement over her hunting alone.”

“In other words, Dean told her she couldn’t, and Mackenzie told him to go to hell,” Sam replied.

“Already been. Didn’t enjoy it much,” he muttered then took another drink and finished his beer.

“I’m sorry,” Jody said softly.

Dean shrugged. “Not your fault,” he replied. “I’m gonna go check on her.” He glanced one last time at his brother and he walked back to the clinic room where he nodded at the doctor. “How’s she looking, doc?”

Mia smiled slightly. “Coming along slowly,” she confirmed. “I just hung a new IV bag, and Mackenzie seems to be absorbing the fluids well; I should be able to try for bloodwork in a little while.”

“And the blood bag?” Dean asked and motioned to the second IV line that ran down into her other arm.

“Still on the first bag for that. But it’s almost ready to be changed,” Mia replied. She studied the hunter, where he leaned against the wall and narrowed her eyes. “You two were close; you may not have claimed her officially, but you’re very protective of her.”

Dean spared her a tired grin and snorted. “That obvious, huh?” he asked. When the woman shrugged and checked Mackenzie’s vitals, Dean sighed and sat on a stool. “We were close, but both hard-headed and stubborn.”

“That will help her now,” Mia said with a small sigh. “I don’t know how long she was held there, but she has a lot of scar tissue.”

“Some of that could come from being a hunter,” Dean replied and shook his head. “But, there’s a good chance we’re looking at years, doc; two-and-a-half, maybe three or more. I just don’t know… What did you mean, stubborn would help her?”

“Her body is a mess, as I said; they pumped her full of medications. Places like that, from what I know and dealing with past victims, usually fed them diets of uppers; the omegas are allowed to rest and sleep only one day a week. Drinks are water that’s…minimally clean, and only in sips. Mackenzie looks better fed than most, which makes me think they focussed on proteins, which is good. But still… It’s going to take months for her body to sort itself out; there’s a good chance she may not have a natural heat cycle again for a while, now that she’s allowed to eat properly and move around.” Mia sighed and touched Mackenzie’s face gently. “As for her mental state…”

“Yeah,” Dean whispered when the woman’s voice died off. He leaned his elbows onto his knees and groaned softly; he knew Mackenzie was tough, but this was going to be a challenge.

The doctor turned to look at him steadily. “Do you have a home-base to take her to, or like most hunters I’ve met, do you run the motel route?”

He grinned at her careful tone; he noted she was being cautious not to be judgemental. “We have a home-base,” he assured her. “Lots of space, we won’t be crowding her, she’ll have her own room.” Dean smiled as the woman nodded to herself. “You’re very protective over an omega you just met.”

She smiled and shrugged. “One of the reasons I became a doctor; I’ll fight for those who can’t fight for themselves,” Mia replied. “You seem like a good man, Dean. But, despite your assurances when you brought her in; right now, Mackenzie is in no shape to look after herself. I want to make sure someone will.”

“Believe me, she’s safe. I won’t let anyone hurt her again,” Dean growled.

“Glad to hear it.”


	3. Chapter 3

Four days later, Dean helped Mackenzie out of the back of the Impala. Though she was glad to no longer be lying on a hospital-style cot, she had no idea what to expect; the last time she had seen the brothers, they had lived out of hotel rooms. She looked around, and at a door that seemed somewhat hidden, as Dean spoke softly to his brother before Sam left to get food. “Where are we?” she asked in confusion.

Dean led her to the door and let them in. “This is the bunker; the explanation on how we got it is…a little complicated, but I promise to tell you one day, Mack,” he said as they walked down the stairs inside.

She looked around in wonder while she held Dean’s arm to keep herself steady. “This is…enormous,” she breathed. Mackenzie noted the war room he pointed out, the library, made mental notes of which rooms the brothers were in, and where the kitchen was. He took her to her own room and made certain to mention she had her own bathroom, which made her smile. “A shower sounds great right about now,” she muttered.

“Can you stand on your own to do that, Mack?” he asked gently.

She sighed heavily; her body still ached, and the bruises were dark, but she had started to heal. “I think so,” Mackenzie replied.

“All right, I’ll make you a deal; take the clothes and everything in with you, don’t lock the door though,” he said while he walked her to the bathroom’s doorway. “I’ll wait out here, just in case. Yell if you need anything. All right?”

Mackenzie nodded. She watched as he set down the duffle bag that held her clothes then he left; Jody Mills had been kind enough to give her some things, and the brothers had gone shopping while she had recovered. The shower was short, Mackenzie tired quickly, and she was thankful there was a chair in front of the sink. She wrapped herself in a towel and sank into it while she wondered if Dean had brought it in, all while she fought to keep her head upright.

Dean had heard the legs of the chair when they scraped on the floor, and he moved to the door. “Mack?” He opened the door slightly and saw her slumped, leaning against the wall. He pushed inside and knelt in front of her. “You okay there, sweetheart?”

“Tired,” she breathed in response.

He grabbed another towel and stood, gently wringing excess water from her long, pale locks. Dean dried the rest of her gently, ignored the blush the spread across her body, and was careful of the multitude of stitches still in her skin. “What do you think, Mack? Pjs?”

“Probably the most comfortable thing, yeah,” she agreed. She watched him pull out a pair of pyjama shorts and matching tank top, both grey, and nodded. Mackenzie let him help her dress, then sat and grabbed a comb; she braided her hair to keep it out of her way, then let out a tired sigh.

Dean touched her chin and pulled her eyes up to meet his. “Think it’s time for you to sleep, sweetheart. You've had a big day between traveling and now showering all on your own,” he said softly while he heard her snort. He helped her to her feet and back into her bedroom, remembering how much she seemed to hate silence and turned on the radio on the dresser while she settled under the covers. Dean’s head turned suddenly towards the door and he stilled while he listened. It took only a second before he relaxed; he noticed Mackenzie had stiffened in response to him, and Dean shook his head. “It’s okay, it’s just Sammy back with food. I won’t be far if you need me, Mack; just yell, all right?”

Mackenzie nodded. Her body was stiff, but she was so exhausted; sleep came quickly.

A few hours later, she woke up screaming, her body covered in sweat. The sound of running footsteps made her draw up to the headboard while her blood raced through her body. The door slammed open, and Mackenzie whimpered, hiding her face against her knees.

Dean quickly saw how terrified she was, and froze when he realized she wasn’t in danger. He blew out a deep breath to force the tension from his body and carefully approached the bed. “Mack?”

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” she muttered without looking up.

He sat carefully on the edge of the bed, near her feet, but resisted the urge to reach out to her. “You didn’t,” he assured. "I wasn't sleeping, sweetheart." Dean frowned and waited for her to look up; it took several minutes before she finally met his eyes, and he offered her a small, reassuring smile. “What can I do?”

She stared at him for a few seconds, her voice soft as she asked, “Some food?”

“Feel up to eating in the kitchen, or would you rather I bring it back here?” he offered.

Mackenzie thought it over and asked, “Would you give me a hand out to the kitchen?”

Dean stood and held out his hand, kept her arm while he led them to the kitchen. He felt her stiffen against him when they found Sam at the table, reading while he ate. The younger Winchester looked up, watched as she avoided his gaze, and let out a long sigh. “I can leave, Mack,” he volunteered, his voice soft.

She bit her lip and shook her head. “No, eat,” she replied, voice hoarse. “I just… I couldn’t sleep. And I’m hungry too.” Mackenzie shuddered as images of her time in the house flicked across her eyes like a strobe light; she stumbled, her knees giving out, and Dean was forced to grab her around her waist.

“Mack?” he asked urgently when she blacked out. He picked her up and carried her to one of the stools at the kitchen table, knelt in front of her where she blinked at him. “You with me?”

“Yeah, I… I just…” Her jaw clenched and she looked away. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, don't apologize,” Dean insisted. “I’ll grab you some grub, just sit tight.” He waited until she nodded before he moved to the fridge. She was tense, but he couldn’t fault her for it. He didn’t know what to do to fix it.

*****

She crept into Dean’s room silently. Her body was worn out, but her mind warred with memories and nightmares that continued to wake her up. Mackenzie tiptoed to the side of his bed, but before she could speak, he woke up.

Dean rolled from his stomach to his side, blade in hand, and had it inches from her throat before his eyes focussed. “Shit! Sorry, Mack,” he mumbled when he realised it was her. He put the knife on his bedside table, turned on the light there, and sat up. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t sleep,” she whispered, staring at her feet.

He watched her sway on her feet, knowing she was exhausted. For the last week, he and Sam kept finding her in various places, passed out. Dean would gently place her in her bed each time, but she had been plagued by nightmares and only slept for short periods each time. Dean moved over without a word and made room for her, leaving his left arm open at the same time.

Mackenzie nodded slightly and crawled into the bed. She left some space between them but curled on her side, head tucked down to her chest. She could feel his eyes on her, and she couldn’t stop her body from trembling. Dean reached out and gently touched her chin with one finger. He tilted her head slightly until she looked at him from the tops of her eyes, and he offered her a gentle smile. “Mack, no expectations here. Sleep only, you need it,” he insisted. “You’re safe, I promise.”

She swallowed hard but scooted closer, pillowing her head on his chest. She listened to his heart beating while she tucked the rest of her body tight up against him, feeling Dean wrap his arm around her gently, careful of her healing wounds. “I’m sorry. I know I’m a mess,” she whispered.

“Oh, sweetheart. I think you’re allowed at this point,” he said softly. Dean shook his head and pressed a kiss to her forehead, letting out a soft sigh when he felt her shiver against him. “You’re not going to upset me or make me frustrated with you; I can promise you that. Just rest, all right?”

 


	4. Chapter 4

For almost a week, Mackenzie’s life revolved around eating when she was awake enough, and sleep. Her body needed to rest to heal, but nightmares continued to plague her and she realized she could only sleep for a few hours at a time. She had managed to stop herself from screaming when she woke now but found herself in bed after she would fall asleep elsewhere. Though she understood Dean’s thoughts behind putting her to bed, she couldn’t explain to him why she hated to sleep there; why she kept falling asleep anywhere but in her own room.

*****

Sam carried the bag of food down the stairs and into the library but paused when he saw Mackenzie sound asleep in the leather armchair in the corner. He frowned and let out a sigh. He continued to the kitchen, where Dean was drinking a coffee. “She’s asleep in the library,” Sam announced.

Dean frowned, the cup paused halfway to his lips. “I moved her to bed a couple hours ago after I found her asleep slumped over the table in here,” he replied.

The younger brother stopped as he put away milk and groaned. “We’re idiots,” he muttered.

“Sorry, what?” Dean asked.

“I suddenly figured out why Mack isn’t sleeping in her room,” Sam replied. “I mean, she was shackled to a bed for who knows how many years. The rooms here are nicer, but… They’re still pretty basic, Dean. Part of her brain probably still thinks it’s waking up there.”

“Son of a bitch,” Dean growled. “I never thought of it.”

Sam ran his hands through his hair and slumped into the chair across from him. “I don’t know what made me think of it just now.” He sighed and studied his brother carefully. “I know she’s still healing and that’s why she’s been sleeping so much. I also know she’s started spending some nights with you. How has she been sleeping at night?”

Dean’s lips quirked at the careful question; there was no judgement, though anyone else would have assumed two alphas would have been fighting over the omega. He and Sam simply had never had that competitive edge with women. “She’s restless,” Dean admitted. “She won’t talk about what happened; can’t say I blame her for that. The bruises are healing, and when the stitches came out… I thought she was going to hyperventilate when I had to cut the threads, Sam. I don’t know if it was the actual cutting, or me pulling at the threads, but I had to keep stopping to give her breaks; she was shaking so bad I was worried I was gonna snip her with the scissors.”

“Damn,” Sam muttered darkly.

Dean nodded and stared at his coffee, frowned, and set it aside. He moved to the fridge and grabbed them both a beer; it was noon and he figured if the conversation was going to be this heavy, they could both use it. “I’m not asking her anything, and she’s not volunteering; but she cries, Sammy, in her sleep. A lot. She used to wake up screaming, and now it’s sobbing. I haven’t decided which one is worse.”

Sam groaned and buried his face into his hands, his elbows on the table. “Maybe I should leave for a little while,” he suggested. “Visit Bobby or something.”

Dean frowned, then realized what Sam was thinking. He nudged his brother’s arm with his beer and waited until the younger man looked up. “Sammy, Mack would be struggling whether you’re here or not; you know that,” he counselled quietly. “Give her time.”

He sighed heavily and nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

*****

A few more days passed, Mackenzie joined Dean each night. Her sleep improved as she was comforted in his presence, and she discovered she needed less sleep during the day. She rediscovered her love of reading from the multitude of books in the bunker, so her days were quiet. She and Sam still weren’t speaking, and Dean routinely checked her to make certain she was eating, but otherwise left her to her own devices.

Dean woke one morning and could feel her squirm in his arms. He inhaled with a frown; Mackenzie’s scent had started to change in the last hour, and her body temperature was rising. He threw off the blankets and sighed; he didn’t know how she would mentally handle her first heat outside the house in years. When he felt her nuzzle his chest, heard a whine come from her throat, Dean kissed her forehead. “Sweetheart, you need to wake up,” he said firmly.

Mackenzie could feel her body burning, her skin felt sensitive; the clothes she’d worn to bed rubbed and irritated her. She opened her eyes, buried her nose further into Dean’s chest and inhaled; his scent calmed one part of her mind and drove the rest of her mad. When she realised what she was doing, she jerked back and stared at him. “No,” she whispered.

“Easy, Mack,” he said calmly.

“Easy? Dean, I… I can’t…”

He reached up and put his fingers over her mouth to stop her rambling. “Mackenzie, you’re safe,” Dean said softly. “I can leave, you can let this pass.”

“Please don’t leave me,” she whispered in a panic. She clutched at his chest and started to hyperventilate.

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. “I won’t go, sweetheart,” Dean assured her. “I’m right here.” He heard a soft moan as it crawled from her chest, and her hands gripped his shirt.

She pulled herself up until she could nuzzle his jaw, felt his stubble scratch her cheek as she worked her way to his mouth. Mackenzie kissed him, lightly at first, but a soft growl and Dean’s hands reflexively tightening forced a whine and she deepened the kiss. She moved to lay more across his body, but suddenly, hers tightened and her breath froze. Her next breath came as a gasp and she pulled back, shaking her head. “I’m sorry,” she whispered and covered her face. “I want to…I need to, but dammit…”

Dean shushed her softly and sighed; he could feel her need, tasted it in the air, but knew memories clouded her mind. He thought of an idea and sat up. “Give me one second,” he murmured and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. He grabbed a few blankets then reached out a hand for her. “C’mon.”

Mackenzie frowned, but took his hand and let him lead her through the bunker. She hadn’t seen the entire place, so she had no idea where he was taking her, but knew the concrete was cold on her bare feet. When he led her through a door, she paused; Dean turned to make sure she was all right, but Mackenzie had a grin on her face. “Thought maybe a change of scenery was a good idea,” he said with a shrug.

She nodded with a sigh of relief, then spotted the Impala in the row of other vehicles. Her smile widened, and she released his hand and walked towards it. The last time she’d been in the car, she’d barely been aware, but the classic car held many pleasant memories of Dean and her, which rolled through her mind. “Hey there, gorgeous,” she greeted softly. Her knees weakened when her skin heated again, a wave of want rolled through her body.

Dean watched as she turned to face him. He opened the back door and threw down a blanket onto the seats. He turned to Mackenzie but watched as she crawled in and lay back to look at him. Dean crawled over her, a grin on his face, and he shook his head. “I figured I’d take the bottom,” he said, chuckling.

Mackenzie slid her hands under his shirt, sought the warmth of his skin, needed to feel him against her. “I need your knot, Dean,” she murmured and leaned up to kiss him. “Harder to get when I’m on top.”

He pulled his shirt off, so she could explore his skin, and nodded. Though Dean knew it was possible, it meant more aggressive sex than he knew she could handle right now. He held his weight off her body with one arm; he wanted to make sure she didn’t feel trapped.

She reached down and pushed off her pyjama pants then reached for his bottoms. Mackenzie untied the drawstring, and pushed at them, running her fingers over his ass. She felt his smile against her lips as the bottoms slid off his legs and to the floor of the car. Once he was finally naked against her, she bent her knees to settle him between her with a sigh of pleasured contentment; it felt like so many times when they were younger.

Dean settled onto his one elbow, cupped her face while they kissed; his other hand explored her body with soft touches. He thought about taking off the t-shirt she had worn to bed but decided that unless Mackenzie made the move, he would leave it. He cupped her breast through the soft material, stroked her nipple until it was straining against the cotton and she arched to meet his touch. Dean left her mouth to place hot, open-mouthed kisses against her neck while his hand continued down her belly and trailed between her legs; his fingers slid easily with how wet she was.

Mackenzie arched her hips, encouraging his fingers to delve inside her. She pulled her legs up higher, pressed against his hips with her ankles. “Dean, please,” she whined.

He grinned and ran his thumb over her clit while two fingers slid inside her. He nipped her earlobe and curled his fingers while she clutched at him, her hips riding his hand. Dean heard her breath catch, knew he had found the right spot, and whispered, “C’mon, sweetheart.” He added a third finger and teased her nub, rubbing all around it but would not stroke it directly, until he could feel her shivering against him.

She knew what he was doing, and as soon as she started to cry out, he ran his thumb down her clit. Mackenzie clutched at his body, yelled out his name, and ground down into him. She fought for breath and wasted no time to reach between their bodies to grip him firmly. A deep growl fell from his lips before he captured hers, and Mackenzie grinned against him.

He pulled her hand away and situated between her thighs and slid between her lips, coating himself while she shuddered beneath him. “Are you ready for me, Mack?” Dean asked, voice low and teasing.

“Don’t make me beg,” she ground out.

He captured her lips again slowly and sank into her, swallowing the groan that fell from her lips. Dean pulled back to quickly study her face, assuring himself that she was all right before setting a steady rhythm; her body was tight around him and he knew it wouldn’t take long before he was ready to burst. Dean’s thrusts were deep and long, his knot beginning to catch at her edge. He resisted the edge to nip and bite at her throat, her chest still hidden beneath her t-shirt, and focussed on touching her. “C’mon, sweetheart,” he urged while his fingers circled her clit. He felt her fingernails dig into her shoulders, heard her breath shudder in his ear. “One more time for me, and I’ll give you what you want.”

Mackenzie whined, her hips rising to meet his, as another orgasm crashed through her. She felt Dean’s knot swell and he pushed to lodge it firmly inside her, his body shuddering; he growled and kissed her deeply. She sighed at the feeling of his knot buried deep inside her, but her mind fought against ugly memories.

Dean felt her shudder and cringe away from him, looked down and saw her eyes clenched tightly, a grimace on her face. “Easy, sweetheart,” he murmured. He held her close and carefully rolled them over, glad the backseat of the Impala was wide enough to comfortably fit them even if it took work. “We’re literally stuck together for a while.”

“I know,” she whispered with a shuddering sigh. “I’m sorry.”

He smiled up at her gently and stroked her cheek. “This isn’t your fault,” he assured. “And deep down, you know that.” Dean helped her settle her cheek onto his chest and stroked her hair when he felt her yawn. It brought a smile to his face; she always slept after they knotted. “Get some rest, Mack.”

He could feel her fight against sleep, but eventually, her breathing evened out. He pulled a blanket up and covered them, tucked one hand behind his head, and buried his face in her hair. His knot eventually relaxed after nearly an hour, and Dean settled her against him as he pulled from her body.

When Mackenzie woke up, she frowned to herself. She looked up at Dean, saw him watching her. She sat up slightly. “I don’t understand,” she said softly. “My heat is over…”

“The doc said this might happen,” he replied quietly.

She turned to look at him, a deep from on her face. “She said my heat might last a day?”

Dean chuckled and stroked her cheek. “Not exactly. Mia said that your body could be messed up for a while. They had you on so many drugs, and it’s not like you had the best nutrition. Your body is getting sorted out, Mack; it’ll take time, that’s all,” he explained.

“I’m not exactly the most patient, Dean,” she groused.

“Yeah, I seem to remember that,” he replied with a laugh. He kissed the top of her head, even as she punched him lightly in the stomach. “But I’m here, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere. And eventually, everything will fall into place.”

Mackenzie nodded and snuggled in against him. She knew eventually they’d have to leave the garage, but since Dean didn’t seem to be in a rush, she wasn’t going to be the one to suggest they move. 


	5. Chapter 5

Dean rubbed a hand over his face and sighed heavily. Mackenzie’s short-lived heat had happened a few days earlier, and it seemed like it wasn’t returning anytime soon. Thankfully, the blackouts, when memories would overwhelm her, seemed to have abated since her sleep had improved; he was immensely grateful for that. But right now, Dean was trying to talk some sense into his brother while he resisted the urge to shake him. “Sam, I can talk to her, explain everything if you want me to,” he offered. “But I think she needs to hear it all from you. And I think you need to be the one to tell her.”

Sam growled deep in his chest. “She finally looks semi-comfortable in a room with me, Dean; and still, it has to be with you there,” he argued.

“I’m not saying it _has_ to be you,” the older brother replied patiently. “Just that maybe it should be. And I’m also not saying it’s gonna be easy; I know it won’t be. But Sammy, I see the look on your face when she comes to sit with me, in my lap. And I know, back before all this shit, she never would’ve hesitated to go to you just as easily. It’s killing you, and it’s painful to watch. I get you feel guilty for whatever happened, and you don’t have to tell me. You really don’t. But you _do_ have to sort things out with her.” Dean watched Sam pace, and he sighed. “Sam, Mack can’t forgive if she doesn’t understand.”

“Are you so sure she can forgive this?” Sam asked, his voice strained. “Dean, you don’t know…”

“And again, I don’t need to know the details,” he interrupted, holding up his hand. “But she can’t even try if she doesn’t know why you did it. And she deserves to know that much.”

Sam sighed and nodded; he couldn’t argue his brother’s logic. And then he snorted. “How are _you_ the voice of reason here?” he asked.

“Shut up,” Dean replied, but a smile played at his lips. “I won’t be far if either of you needs me.”

Sam squared his shoulders and inhaled deeply; Mackenzie’s scent was easy to track in the bunker. She smelled nothing like the brothers and tended to stick to a few locations since her arrival. Sam found her in the library, a book in her lap, where she sat cross-legged in one of the brown leather armchairs.

“Mackenzie?” He spoke softly, not wanting to startle her, though he was certain she had heard or smelled him coming. When she glanced up, Sam noticed her eyes flashed a lot of white, and she would not look up past his chest. “Can we talk?”

She nodded slightly, watched from the corner of her eye as he took the matching seat a few feet away from her. Mackenzie set the book down and pulled her knees to her chest, hugged them and hoped that it would hide how badly her body was shaking. She couldn’t speak and wanted nothing more than to run as far away as she could. _“But where would I go?”_ she asked herself.

Sam sighed silently and ran a hand through his hair slowly. He made certain he kept all of his movements slow and calculated; he knew she was terrified of him, could smell the change in her pheromones at being alone with him, could see the tension in her muscles. “There’s so much to say, I’m trying to figure out where to start,” he admitted.

Mackenzie swallowed hard, her eyes watched his hands as she let out a long breath. “You said… When you and Dean found me, you explained to him, that you didn’t have a soul?” she said, her voice hesitant. “He obviously understood what you meant, but...”

“Yeah, it goes back to just after… The last time we were talking, you knew that the angels wanted Dean as a host for Michael, and Lucifer wanted me as a meatsuit. Do you remember that?” Sam asked. He studied her closely, but in the next room, he heard a soft intake of breath; he knew Dean was somewhere close enough to hear the conversation now. His brother didn’t know that Sam had kept in touch with Mackenzie after she had cut off contact with Dean.

“All that destiny crap, for an apocalypse showdown,” she agreed with a snort. “I remember.”

Sam nodded in agreement, a small smile at the tone in her voice. “Well, we found a way to open a gate into hell, that would trap Lucifer in a cage there. The only problem was, he had to be riding me, and I dove in,” he explained. He watched her hand fly up to cover her mouth, and her eyes met his for the first time since they had found her.

“I get the feeling you’re giving me the Reader’s Digest version, Sam,” she whispered in horror.

He shrugged slightly; he didn’t want her to think he was trying to gain her sympathy if he told her absolutely everything. “There was a lot to it,” he admitted. “Lucifer had freed the Four Horsemen from hell; we needed their rings to open the doorway to his cage. Some of the angels wanted the apocalypse to happen, so they weren’t happy Dean and I were reluctant to play along… It got kinda ugly that we found a way around it.”

Mackenzie stared at him while he explained everything so calmly. “So, you and your brother, have now both been to hell,” she stated and shook her head.

“Family tradition, it seems. I wasn’t there long, though. I got pulled out, but…” Sam’s voice died off and he hung his head. He stood and paced a few steps away to lean back on one of the tables before he could speak again while he stared at his hands. “When they brought me out, my body got pulled out, but my soul ended up stuck in the cage, with Lucifer and Michael. At the time…” Sam ran his hands through his hair and wrapped them behind his neck. “I did horrible things when I was like that and just didn’t care; I didn’t have the _ability_ to care. I watched a kid get tortured for information without blinking. I let Dean get bit by a vampire to finish a job. I tried to kill Bobby. Hell, I almost succeeded in that one, only Dean managed to stop me. But absolutely _none_ of that compares to what I did to you, Mackenzie.” Sam watched as she dropped her head, her face flushed. “When Dean got my soul put back, I didn’t remember right away what I had done; it took a while. But the second I did, I found us a job near the house you’d been at; I told Dean I had to go and do something, and I went to see if I could get you out of there.”

“Once you hadn’t been back for a little while, they moved me,” she whispered, still unable to look at him. “They were worried you’d find your conscience and come back to get me out.”

“I asked all the girls before they could leave, but no one knew you.”

Mackenzie shook her head and wiped her cheeks. “We were never allowed to interact with each other.”

Sam realized she was crying silently. He took a few steps forward and he dropped to his knees, still a few feet away, not wanting to crowd her. “I killed everyone there, Mackenzie; but not before I found out locations of other houses,” he said hoarsely. “I know I hurt you, and I couldn’t forgive myself. We’ve been searching omega houses ever since, and I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for what I did to you. I’m sorry that I didn’t take you out of there the second I saw you. And I’m sorry that we didn’t find you sooner.”

She looked to where he knelt and bit her lip. “From when we were younger and used to all hang out watching movies while our dads worked cases, to…” Mackenzie stopped and swallowed before she could continue. “To when you’d come and see me at the house; you smelled different, Sam.”

“I did?” he asked in surprise. He looked up at her, studied her face, and noticed she was studying him at the same time.

Mackenzie nodded slightly but she turned back to her hands. “It was…subtle, but something was different. I just thought it was because you’d gotten older; it’d been years since we’d seen one another in person.”

“And now?” he asked hesitantly; he was afraid, but needed to know the answer.

She licked her lips and nodded, looked back up at him. “You’re back to what I remember from when we were teenagers,” Mackenzie replied while watching him sigh in relief. She clenched her eyes as her mind went over what he had revealed; Sam had been through his own torture. “I don’t…blame you, Sam. I know now it wasn’t really you.”

“Can you ever trust me again?” he asked with sincerity. “Right now, every time I walk into a room, you flinch; I can’t say I blame you. But I know when you see me, your memories go back to that house.”

Mackenzie stood and paced, arms hugged around her waist. “It’s getting better,” she argued softly. “You’re nothing like what you were then. You move differently, even how you speak.” She stared down at where he still knelt and chewed the inside of her cheek; he looked so earnest, it was hard to reconcile the man who visited her for months on end at the house was the same one sitting in front of her. She let out a long breath and offered him a hesitant smile. “That…man-cave that Dean has set up, now that he’s got the TV hooked up would be a good place to start in reconnecting, I think. Hanging out like we used to, watching old movies.”

“I think I saw him hauling in a couch to join the recliners the other day,” Sam agreed with a small smile.

She nodded and thought for a moment, then glanced at him. “I think maybe it’s time for a movie night; Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. Pizza, popcorn, beer…the works. Let’s pretend that life is…somewhat normal for a change,” Mackenzie suggested. She saw Dean standing just at the edge of the library and included him in the conversation. “What do you say?”

“Sounds like a deal to me, sweetheart,” Dean agreed with a grin. “What about you, Sammy?”

“I think it sounds like a great idea, Mack,” he agreed.

She nodded. “Okay. I’m gonna go change into pjs, then.”

“It’s still early!” Sam said with a laugh.

“And I want my comfies on,” she argued.

Dean chuckled and shook his head at her. “When don’t you wear your comfy clothes for movies?”

“Never,” she replied with a shrug. “Who’s making the pizza run?”

“I’ll go,” Sam volunteered. “Still double cheese and mushrooms, Mack?”

She nodded and smiled. “Yes, please.”

“I’ll set up the movies, Mack, you’re in charge of popping the popcorn,” Dean assigned as Sam left. “All the drinks are already in the den’s fridge, so we’ll meet up there in twenty?”

Mackenzie nodded in agreement. She knew it wouldn’t take Sam long; the food runs never seemed to take the boys too long, though she had no idea how far it was into town. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

She made her way to her room to change, and found herself actually looking forward to spending time with both brothers; it was the closest to normal she had felt in a long time. It brought a smile to her face; it was a good feeling.


	6. Chapter 6

Mackenzie walked into the man-cave, a bowl full of freshly popped popcorn, but stopped only a few feet into the room. The men had moved the recliners off to the side, and the couch that Dean had brought into the room that was an L-shaped sectional was set up directly in front of the television. She smiled slightly at the sight and she continued into the room, setting the bowl of popcorn onto the table in front of the couch. Sam was back, and he had brought three pizzas, their aromas filling the room, along with paper plates and napkins.

Dean brought over bottles of beer while Mackenzie sat, and offered one to her, but set a cola down as well. “Wasn’t sure what you’d really want,” he said softly.

“I’ll start with a beer for now,” she said with a smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve actually had one.”

Dean sat in the corner of the sectional after grabbing a few slices of pizza and wrapped one arm around Mackenzie when she leaned back into him. They settled in to eat and watch the movie, but she casually propped her feet into Sam’s lap; Dean watched as his brother looked up in surprise. She gave Sam a small smile and turned her attention back to the movie silently.

Dean shared a look with his brother and pressed a kissed to the top of her head. It was the first time she had reached out to his younger brother, and Dean was so relieved. He knew they were both aware he’d overheard them today, and what had been revealed had shocked him. He’d always known that Sam and Mackenzie had been close friends, but to find out that they’d kept talking for years after she’d told him off… Dean grinned and hugged her closer; it was exactly the kind of thing she would do, that they’d both do.

From the corner of his eye, Dean saw Sam’s hand lightly resting on her feet; afraid to move in case he scared her. About half an hour into the movie, Dean reached down into the bowl of popcorn he had in his lap and casually tossed a piece at his brother; it hit his cheek before it landed in his lap. When Sam looked over, he pointed down at Mackenzie.

She saw him point at her and shoved at him. “Like hell it was me!” she replied indignantly.

“Oh please, all on you, Mack!” Dean replied.

Mackenzie threw a handful of popcorn at Dean’s face, then felt Sam’s fingers on her feet. He started tickling her relentlessly, knowing her weak points and went straight for them. Mackenzie squealed and kicked, and eventually, she begged. “Sam! Please, stop! Sam, stop!”

Instantly, she was released and felt both ends of the couch shift. Like she’d been dunked in ice-water, she sobered. Mackenzie sat up, opened her eyes, and saw Sam standing at the end of the couch; Dean blocked his path, squared off in front of her. She frowned and stood next to Dean, but he touched her arm and continued to stare at his brother. Sam’s entire body had stiffened, his spine rigid, and he stared at the wall.

“Sammy?” Dean asked, voice a low growl. He was wary of his brother’s reaction.

Mackenzie’s eyes narrowed while she studied the taller brother, and she replayed the words she had said in her mind. “Shit,” she whispered. She stepped closer, squeezed Dean’s hand reassuringly, and continued closer. “Sam, I’m sorry; I didn’t think…”

“God, Mackenzie; it’s not your fault,” Sam insisted and looked up at her in shock.

She laughed humourlessly and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, it is,” she replied bitterly. Mackenzie heard Dean shift behind her, and she shook her head. “I should never have been hunting; I know that now. My father should never have brought me up in the life. I’m an omega, not an alpha; I’m not meant to be hunting.”

“Mack…” Dean started softly.

“It’s true,” she interrupted, her voice harsh. “I was stupid, careless. I shouldn't have been out there hunting.”

“Hey,” Sam said suddenly. He stopped her ranting when he stepped closer, and touched her face, drawing her eyes up to meet his own. “Mackenzie, you were one of the _best-_ damned hunters Dean and I ever worked with, and it had nothing to do with you being an omega. Your father trained you well, and that’s all there was to it.”

“But I screwed up,” she whispered tearfully.

“That happens to the best of us, sweetheart,” Dean reminded her. “We’ve opened the gates of Hell, let Lucifer loose… Yeah, the list goes on.”

Sam snorted and nodded in agreement. “What Dean’s saying, is that we’ve all made mistakes. You didn’t try to end the world with yours, that’s all,” he said gently.

Mackenzie stepped into Sam’s body and wrapped her arms tentatively around his waist; she was almost a foot shorter than him and her head came to rest directly over his heart. She felt the surprise as it rippled through him, but he wrapped his arms loosely around her; she knew he was afraid of scaring her. A sound behind her made Mackenzie glance out of the corner of her eye, to see Dean; he stepped close enough to stroke her head where she had it against his brother’s chest.

She took the comforting touches for a few moments before letting out a long breath and pulled back. “Okay, back to the movie,” Mackenzie said softly.

Dean sat back down, and she cuddled back into his side, and he grinned when she tossed her legs back over Sam’s lap again. It was almost back to when they were teenagers again. Once the first movie was over, he cued up the second, while she ran for a bathroom break.

They were halfway through Bride of Frankenstein, when Dean turned to his brother and asked softly, “Why didn’t you ever tell me, Sam?” The younger Winchester turned with wide eyes and glanced at Mackenzie, but Dean assured, “She’s out cold.”

“Are you sure?” Sam asked, his voice a whisper. A soft snore came from Mackenzie’s lips which made him smile, and he stared at her face while he thought. “Dean, I was mortified when I remembered what I’d done to her. I mean, everything else I’d put you and Bobby through was bad enough, but _her_?” Sam shook his head and swallowed hard. “Hell, I even asked Crowley if any of his cronies had seen her.”

“Crowley had never met her,” Dean reminded.

“I had a picture, and the fact she was a hunter, I thought would be a help,” Sam replied with a shrug. “I figured it couldn’t hurt, but… I was getting desperate to find her. And the longer it took, the more I wondered if maybe… Maybe I was too late. And how could I tell you that?”

“Sam, you already know that I don’t blame you for what happened when you were like that,” Dean reminded him.

“But if she died, I wouldn’t have forgiven myself,” Sam replied, finally meeting his eyes. “I hurt her… I raped her, and what’s worse, is I made her enjoy it… And I never would’ve had the chance to apologize. The fact that she can forgive me? I’m still not sure how.”

Dean stared at his brother and shook his head. “Because Mack knows like I know, it wasn’t _really_ you, Sam,” he replied softly. “You have to stop beating yourself up. She’s forgiven you. Maybe it’s time you did too.”

Sam stared back down at the woman who lay between them and smiled slightly. “I guess if she can, I should be able to figure it out too.”


	7. Chapter 7

Dean wandered into the kitchen, phone to his ear, as he said, “Look, this really isn’t a good time. Isn’t there anyone else you can call?” He frowned heavily and rubbed at his chin. “I have a bit of a situation here… Yeah, I hear ya, and I remember, but... Alright, give me twenty minutes, I’ll call you back, okay?”

Mackenzie frowned at the deep growl in his tone. She wanted to go to him, but when he slammed his hand onto the counter, she stayed frozen where she sat at the table.

“Son of a bitch!” Dean yelled.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked his tone even. He reached over and gently placed a hand on Mackenzie’s shoulder; he had watched her jump at his brother’s outburst.

Dean looked up and saw Mackenzie; her eyes were wide and she was frozen in place, staring at him. His brother was soothing her, and Dean hung his head. “I’m sorry, Mack,” he muttered.

Sam ran his hand down Mackenzie’s arm, held her hand briefly before he looked at his brother. “Who was on the phone?”

“Jacob,” Dean replied darkly and met his eyes.

“Dammit,” Sam sighed.

Mackenzie had managed to calm herself; she knew Dean’s anger wasn’t directed at her, and he would never hurt her. She had been grateful Sam had read her so easily; she may have run despite herself, she was sure of it. She looked between the brothers and asked, “What’s wrong? Who’s Jacob?”

Dean came to sit at the table, his face grim. “Sammy and I agreed that if we got a call about a case that one of us could handle on our own, or anyone needed help on one, he was gonna be the one to go. At least for now,” he explained. “You’re doing better, but you’re still…kinda jumpy, sweetheart.”

Sam watched her flush, she looked down at her lap, and he offered a small smile. “It’s all right, Mackenzie; I understand. Like Dean said, you’re getting more comfortable around me, but it’ll take time,” he agreed.

She let out a long breath but looked between the men when the air felt heavy. “So, why are both of you unhappy with this Jacob being the one who called?” she asked.

“Sam and Jacob have a…fundamental difference of opinions, and can’t work together,” Dean replied with a sigh. “On account of Sammy trying to kill him.”

“In my defence, he tried to kill me first,” Sam said quickly and held up a hand. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “It was around the time I was soulless.”

Dean watched as she nodded in understanding. “I don’t have to go, Mack. I can tell Jacob to find someone else,” he assured.

“But, I’m guessing there’s a reason you didn’t in the first place,” she said. She watched his face while he grimaced slightly and knew she was right. Mackenzie reached out and laid a hand on his arm. “Go, Dean. Work the case. There are lots of movies here for Sam and me to watch, books to read… I’ll be fine;  _ we’ll _ be fine.”

Dean glanced between them and gave a small nod. “As long as you’re sure?”

Mackenzie smiled and nodded, looked at Sam and reached out a hand to him. When he took it, she squeezed it firmly. “I know I’m still screwed up, believe me,” she said softly. “But, Sam won’t hurt me; I’m positive of that, so we’re good.”

The brothers watched her get up and leave, then Dean turned to his brother. “And how do you feel about it, Sammy?” he asked softly.

Sam smiled and chuckled softly. “She’s right, we’re doing better. Hell, she fell asleep cuddled up next to me on the couch last night.” He smiled when he thought of it; he’d remained still not to wake her. There were still times that he startled her; Mackenzie didn’t like anyone coming up behind her, especially Sam. He understood why and went to great lengths to make enough noise so he didn’t surprise her. 

“That’s good,” Dean agreed. “All right, I’ll call Jacob.” He dialled and waited. “I’m coming; where are you?” He paused and growled. “I’m  _ at least _ a day’s drive before I get there. Try not to kill anyone before I make it to you, all right? And don’t forget; this makes us even.” Dean hung up and growled. “I’ll grab my gear and let Mack know I’m leaving.”

Mackenzie sat in the library, her legs propped up on one of the tables, her ankles crossed, as she flipped through a book. For once, she heard Dean’s boots on the concrete instead of smelling him first. She turned to meet his gaze as she laid the book on the table, staring at him while Dean leaned back on the table.

“You’ve got my cell number programmed into the phone Sammy got you,” he said softly. “If you need me, for anything, call or message me. I’ll come straight home.”

“I know,” Mackenzie agreed with a small smile.

Dean studied her, the peaceful expression she wore, and he reached out to touch her face. “I’m sorry I startled you earlier,” he apologized. “I wasn’t thinking.”

She leaned into his hand and frowned at him slightly. “Dean, I know it wasn’t on purpose,” she assured him. “And you can’t tiptoe around me all the time.”

“I still shouldn’t have lost my temper.”

Mackenzie sighed and stood in front of him. “Before I got here, would you have hesitated to go help this Jacob?” she asked. She watched the truth in his eyes before he looked away, and she smiled slightly. “I’m the reason you got upset in the first place and hesitated before agreeing, Dean. You don’t have to apologize. It was my fault.”

He reached up and put his hand over her mouth, a stern expression on his face. “And we’re not gonna have that argument, either,” he replied firmly. He felt her smile slightly under his palm before he lowered his hand and sighed. “All right, then. I will be back as soon as I can, Mack.”

“I know you will,” she agreed.

Mackenzie hummed as he kissed her cheek. He then grabbed his bag and headed for the stairs. She watched him leave, returned to the chair, and picked up her book. She’d barely made it a few pages when she heard Sam approaching and looked up.

“Hey, Mack, I was going to go grab some groceries,” he said gently. “Anything specific you’d like me to get for the next few days?”

“Our tastes have always been pretty similar, so not really,” she replied with a shrug. “As long as we’re stocked on popcorn for movies, that it’s.”

Sam chuckled. “I think we’re pretty set for that, but I’ll make sure before I leave. I shouldn’t be too long, and if you need anything, or think of anything else you want, just call me.”

Mackenzie nodded. She heard him head to the garage while she settled back into her book, but after a few minutes, she shuddered; it was eerily quiet to be suddenly totally alone in the bunker. She made her way to the cave and put on a movie to end the silence, then turned back to the book; leaving the movie on in the background. She was engrossed in the research book and finding out things she had missed in the years she had been out of the business.

Sam returned and could hear the movie playing, but was surprised to find her with a notepad and pen, still with the book in her lap. “Mack?”

She glanced up and gave him a small nod. “Hey,” she greeted.

“What are you doing?”

“Just seeing what’s new,” she replied. “I retain things better if I write them, and it looks like some info has changed since...well since I was hunting. I don’t want to forget it.” Mackenzie closed the book and set it aside as she finished what she was writing. “Movie’s almost over, want to pick the next one?”

“Star Wars?” Sam asked with a grin, watching as she laughed; it had always been their go-to movie series.

“You’re on,” she agreed with grin.


	8. Chapter 8

Mackenzie checked various containers in the fridge; some she had no idea how long the brothers had left in there. She would figure out from what was in there, what she wanted to cook for dinner. Dean had been gone a few days already, and in that time, Sam had bought takeout or cooked. But, right now she was bored, and he was doing research for whatever it was Dean was hunting. She laid everything on the prep island in the kitchen before she started opening them. When she got to a heavy stoneware casserole dish, Mackenzie frowned; it wasn’t anything like what she expected the boys to have.

She lifted the entire dish and guessed it was almost empty; the realization made her smile and shake her head; Sam or Dean should have transferred whatever was left into a smaller container to keep. Mackenzie lifted the lid and bile burned the back of her throat. The smell of tuna brought back a rush of memories from the house. Her vision darkened, and her hands released the casserole. A cry fell from her lips as the dish slammed into the top of her foot before it smashed on the ground and broke into pieces.

Sam ran into the kitchen and quickly took in the scene; Mackenzie slumped against the kitchen’s island, standing on one foot, her other foot swollen and already turning dark shades of purples and red. He approached her cautiously, careful of the broken dish, bent to catch her gaze, and frowned when he saw her eyes looked haunted. “Mack?” he asked softly.

She sobbed softly and covered her face with one hand, whispering, “Take me somewhere I can put up my foot, Sammy. Please.”

He lifted her gently and carried her to the library, knelt while he set her on one of the chairs at a table and said, “I’m just going to get the medkit and some ice, okay?” When she kept a tight grip on his arms, Sam touched her face and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Mack, I’ll only be gone a minute, but I need to be able to check your foot. I promise I’ll be right back.” His voice was soft, coaxing, and he cupped her cheeks; he nodded at her slightly to reassure her. “I promise.”

She stared at him then nodded and let him go. He moved a chair over, close enough she could rest her calf on it, and with one last gentle smile, Sam disappeared. Mackenzie brought her hand up and bit at the side of her index finger while she stared blindly.

Sam returned with the duffle of medical supplies and an ice bag but paused when he saw her blanked expression. Walking to the chair where her leg was propped up, he set down the supplies on the table and said her name softly.

“I’m here,” she replied and lowered her hand, her eyes flicked up to his concerned face.

He lifted her leg carefully and sat, cradled it in his lap while he studied her. “What happened, Mack?”

“It was the tuna,” she replied, staring at her foot. Her eyes darted up to his face; she only saw concern. Mackenzie licked her lips. “It was…all they’d feed us, really; high in protein, cheap… I’m sorry, I just wasn’t expecting that reaction.”

Sam tilted his head and shook it slightly at her. “Hey, you’ve got nothing to apologize for,” he assured her. “Things like this… You never know what might trigger a memory, and smell is one of the strongest sense-memory connectors there is.” He looked down at her foot and rolled her pant leg up to her knee so he could inspect her foot and ankle properly. “I need to check this, Mack…”

“I know it’s gonna hurt like a bitch, it’s okay,” she replied with a nod.

Mackenzie grabbed the arms of the chair as his fingers carefully probed the swelling and moved her foot, ankle, and toes. She gritted her teeth, sweat broke out on her forehead, but she didn’t protest while he worked. Finally, Sam took the ice pack and placed it on top of the swelling, and her body slumped into the chair in relief.

“I’m sorry, Mack. But, nothing seems broken. The bones and tendons are definitely bruised, though,” he said with sympathy. “It’s gonna hurt like hell for a little while.”

“So, no running marathons for a bit, huh?” she quipped, wiping at her forehead.

Sam chuckled and gently massaged her ankle and calf. “Probably not the best plan, no,” he agreed. He watched her shift, trying to get more comfortable, and he said, “How about we go to the cave and put on a movie? The couch is probably more comfortable for you.” When she nodded in agreement, he handed her the ice pack then lifted her easily, chuckling when she squeaked in surprise. “What, did you think I was going to make you limp all the way there?”

“No, I suppose not,” Mackenzie replied with a small laugh.

She settled into the corner of the couch once he had set her down and smiled when he took her foot back into his lap and continued to gently work the injured muscles. Mackenzie watched him pick a movie, his hands moved unconsciously on her skin when it started. She knew he had fallen into old habits and paid little attention to what he was doing other than to make certain he did not hurt her. Mackenzie licked her lips and swallowed, stared at his hands as she spoke next. “I’d been there probably five months when you first showed up,” she confessed. Her words made him pause, and she knew he had turned to look at her, but she continued to stare at her foot on his lap.

“Mack, you don’t have to…”

“Who else can I talk to, Sam?” she asked and glanced at his face. “We’ve always talked, about everything.”

Sam leaned over and touched her cheek gently, his own face pained. “You can tell me anything you want or need to, Mack,” he said with a nod. “I just don’t want you to feel like you  _ have _ to, okay?”

Mackenzie nodded and turned into his hand for a second, then lowered her eyes; she just couldn’t see his face while she spoke. “When you first showed up, I thought maybe you were there to get me out, but… I knew you were off, I just didn’t understand why,” she admitted. “Now that you’ve explained, I get it. Still, you… You weren’t even  _ close  _ to the worst alpha that would come in to see me; you never hurt me.”

His jaw clenched at her hoarse whisper. Sam wanted to argue that point; he knew he had hurt her, but he knew what she meant. He couldn’t imagine what she had been put through. Sam wanted to press, to ask questions, but knew it wasn’t his place; she needed to talk freely, not be interrogated. He held out his hand, was grateful when Mackenzie took it, and he listened to her talk about the last three years. She had watched girls die from botched abortions or alphas having beaten them to death; she’d come close to dying herself after some of her own beatings. The only time she’d been unlocked from the collar attached to the bed was for brief showers, in between alphas, and even then, Mackenzie said the girls had been kept leashed. Sam closed his eyes and fought down the rage that threatened to overwhelm him; he wished they’d found her sooner.

Part of him wondered; if he'd told Dean about what he'd done, would they have found Mackenzie sooner?

When she finished, and just couldn’t speak anymore, Mackenzie let out a deep breath and sat up. She rearranged the pillows in the corner and propped her foot up, turning so she could lean into Sam. She snuggled into his chest, pulled both of his arms around her and closed her eyes even as he spoke.

“Did you ever decide what you wanted for dinner when you were playing in the kitchen earlier?” he asked playfully.

She laughed, glad for the lighter mood, and shook her head. “To hell with cooking tonight,” she muttered. “Take-out it is.”

“There’s a great sushi place,” he offered. “Tempura shrimp used to be your favourite, if I remember. Miso soup, spicy crab rolls?”

“Some edamame too, please,” Mackenzie said with a pleased smile. “In a little while. Right now, I’m comfortable.”

Sam chuckled and hugged her tighter. “It’s still early; we can eat whenever you want, Mack. No rush.”


	9. Chapter 9

Mackenzie lay in bed the next day, stretching carefully; her foot ached a little, but her healing had improved and it wasn’t as agonizing as it had been the night before. She had slept late, and it was nearly noon, but since she had little to do but rest and recover, there was no need to keep to a regulary daily routine.

Dean had called each night since he had left to check in on her to see if she was all right. She suspected he also called his brother, but even then, couldn’t blame him; the pair was close. And, Dean would want to make certain she wasn’t just telling him what he wanted to hear.

She blinked tiredly as she tried to wake up, and when a moan worked its way from her throat without a thought, she froze. Her eyes flew open and she reached for her phone, pressed the button and waited impatiently. As soon as Dean picked up, she asked, “Where are you?”

“Mack? What’s wrong?”

“I’m in heat,” Mackenzie whispered.

Dean sighed softly. “Sweetheart, I’m still here on the job. We’ve got at least half a day left to wrap this up, and another half before I can get back to you,” he explained. He heard her whimper and frowned. “I’m sorry, Mack. There’re a few options for you still.”

“Yeah,  _ so  _ many,” she snorted humourlessly.

He smiled; Dean was glad to hear some sass had made its way back into her tone. “You can wait it out, and it might be short like your last one. You can lock the door to your room until I get back and I can help,” he continued. He heard her moan pitifully. “Or…you could go and find Sam.” Dean listened to her sharp intake of breath, and he frowned. “Mackenzie, he could help you through your heat, and you know he would never hurt you.”

“No! No, I know he wouldn’t,” she replied quickly. She bit her lip and listened to his even breathing; just the sound was making her blood heat and driving her crazy. “Why do you have to be so far away?”

“Sweetheart, I wish I was closer, believe me, I do. But I can’t help with this one,” he replied, voice low.

Mackenzie pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them, phone still tight to her ear. “You could order me to go to Sam…”

Dean gritted his teeth. He glanced behind him and paced until he was alone and thought over what she had said. The woman he had known for most of his life had never been a true submissive in her everyday life. The fact she would think to ask for him to give her an order like that simply told him how much the last few years had affected her. “One, I’ve never been that kind of alpha, not to you, not to anyone,” he said gently. “And two, you’re not that kind of omega, Mack.”

“You don’t know what I’ve become the last few years.”

“Whatever it was, it was so you could survive, Mackenzie,” he said in response to her harsh whisper. Dean rubbed his face roughly and held up a hand behind himself when Jacob called his name. “But I know a few things about you that would never have changed. You’d never forget if I  _ did _  give you a direct order, especially not one like that. And, chances are, you’d never really forgive me for it, either.”

Mackenzie chewed the skin on the side of her forefinger, an old habit she’d had since she was a child when she was anxious. “Dean, I don’t know if I can,” she breathed. “Sam and I are better, we’re talking and sitting together, but  _this_ …” Aside from the times he had been soulless, she had never been intimate with Sam, and she had no idea how she was supposed to approach him. “I mean, what am I supposed to say?”

“Sweetheart, he’s going to be able to tell you’re in heat before you even get close to him,” Dean reminded her. He could hear her moving, and frowned; he knew she was likely pacing, but her breathing was muffled. “Stop chewing your finger, you’re gonna draw blood.”

She pulled her hand away from her mouth and stared at it; the welts were deep, but she hadn’t broken the surface yet. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“You never have to apologize to me, sweetheart,” he assured. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes as Jacob called his name again. “Give me a minute,” Dean growled and turned to glare at the man. When the other hunter backed off, he turned his back and pulled the phone back up to his mouth. “Mackenzie, I have to go. I’m sorry; I wish I was there, believe me. Breathe for me, okay?”

She took a deep breath and nodded, even though she knew he couldn’t see. “I’m…gonna go find Sam,” she announced resignedly.

“I think that’s a good plan,” he agreed. “I’ll call later to see how you’re doing, alright?” When she made a soft sound of agreement, Dean grimaced. “Just keep taking deep breaths, sweetheart. And I’ll make it up to you when I’m home.”

“Promise?” she asked with a snort.

Dean chuckled darkly. “Remember that trip you made to see me in North Carolina?” he asked, voice drawn low. When he heard her groan, he grinned. “How’s that sound?”

“I’m keeping you to that, Winchester,” Mackenzie replied and hung up.

She stared at the phone for a second while she debated showering and laughed to herself; there was no point. Her pyjama shorts stuck to her skin from how wet she already felt, and even a shower would not rid her body of the pheromones that poured from her skin.

Mackenzie opened the door to her room, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply; she already knew Sam was in the kitchen from his scent. She gripped the door frame for a second to steady herself before she limped towards him; walking on the food hurt slightly and she couldn’t rush the way she wanted to. Her mind whirled. She was terrified of him turning her down, wouldn’t have blamed him if he did; she knew the memories of what happened at the omega house haunted him as much as it did her. And what they had managed to recover of their relationship they both treasured; she wouldn’t have blamed him if he didn’t want to risk that. But the rest of her ran on need; and right now, it wanted an alpha’s knot.

She reached the doorway and paused; Sam sat at the table, his lunch abandoned in front of him. He stared at her, his pupils blown wide, but stayed still; Mackenzie knew he wouldn’t make the first move. She licked her lips and walked until she stood in front of him, where Sam had turned until he sat sideways on the table’s stool. Mackenzie didn’t stop until she stood between his legs, pressed against his chest, and from his seated position her head was actually taller than his. She ran her hands through his hair and rested her forehead against his chin, forced herself to stop and think.

Sam watched her fight for control and reached up to touch her waist lightly. “It’s okay, Mack,” he said quietly. He had received a text from Dean just before she had found him; his brother had warned him what was going on.

Mackenzie moved to straddle his legs so she could sit on his lap. She gripped his hair with a whine and forced his gaze to meet her own. “Is it?” she asked. Her face was lower than his, now that she sat, and she buried her face in his neck, inhaled deeply, and brought one hand from his hair down to grip his waist. “I’m sorry, Sammy…”

“No,” he interrupted her, cupped her face, nuzzled her cheek then he forced her to meet his gaze again. “Don't apologize.” Sam felt her hips shift and begin to rub against his own and he fought a groan; his brother had told her about her last heat and the fact it had been uncharacteristically short, and what the doctor had said about her body. They had no idea what her body might do this time either. When he felt her nails drag sharply along his chest, along his nipples, he growled and reached one hand into her hair. Sam gripped just tight enough to get her attention, and said, “Here, or bedroom, Mackenzie?”

“Not here,” she replied, voice breathy. “And not…not  _ my _  room either.”

Sam nodded in understanding; the thought reminded her too much of the omega house. He released her hair and wrapped both hands under her thighs to hold her while he stood. He watched as Mackenzie’s eyes widened; she wrapped her legs and locked her ankles behind his back while her mouth attacked his neck, teeth digging deep. He could feel the bruises she sucked into his skin and growled low in his chest, knew she would feel the vibrations against her core from where he held her, and he felt her pull at his shirt.

He reached his room and kicked the door closed behind him but didn’t stop until he reached the side of his bed and set one knee on the mattress. Sam leaned over and urged her to release her legs from behind his back, so he could lay on her across the bed. Once she was settled, staring up at him, Sam pulled off his flannel and t-shirt, tossed them to the floor and settled over her body, still braced on his arms.

Mackenzie knew he was being extra careful with her: he’d positioned her so that she was not laying with her head on the pillows like she had been in the house; Sam had kept himself so his body did not keep her pinned to the bed, she could easily escape if she wanted. She reached into his long locks and pulled, her breath catching at the deep growl it drew from his chest and pulled him down to her lips; she didn’t want to go anywhere.

The tension in Sam’s chest eased as she pulled him back to her; though he knew her heat ran on instinct, he also knew Mackenzie wouldn’t be so bold if she was afraid of him. He ran his hands under the shirt she had worn to bed, his fingers skimmed over her ribs. She surprised him when she drew away from his mouth to try and pull off the garment, frustrated when their weight hampered her efforts. Sam took over and ripped the fabric in half to bare her skin to his gaze; the scars there pulled at his conscience because he knew he was responsible for some of them.

Mackenzie watched the flash of guilt in his eyes, and she cupped his face, drew his gaze up to her own. She struggled to control her breathing long enough to say, “I don’t blame you, Sammy.”

He smiled at the nickname that she had only recently begun to use again and leaned down to kiss her again before his lips trailed down her neck. Her back arched when he nipped and licked at her heated skin, her own hands pulled her breasts free of the sports bra she had worn to bed and offered them to him. Sam smiled and sucked at the newly exposed flesh, his hands continued down her body to tug at her pyjama shorts.

Mackenzie writhed under his body, pushed him off long enough to pull the bra over her head and tried to push the shorts off her hips, but his hands stilled her. He bit her ribs and tugged the fabric down her legs himself; she wore nothing underneath, and she was suddenly overwhelmed herself by her own scent. Mackenzie watched Sam still over her, then his hands gripped her hips and he buried his face in her stomach while he ran his tongue over her and bit his way down her body.

He reached her mound and saw her skin shining with her slick; he had dragged it down her thighs from where it had soaked into her clothes. Sam used his hands to spread her thighs wide and licked her slit, a harsh groan crawling from his chest at her taste.

She tried to pull away, but his fingers gripped her tight, held her close, and Mackenzie cried out as his tongue slipped deep inside her then he nipped her clit. She looked down to see his hazel eyes locked on hers while his mouth feasted on her. Her skin throbbed, a fresh rush of arousal made her wetter, and she heard his groan before he brought up one of his forearms to hold her down her hips. She was confused until she felt his fingers; they rubbed her clit, flicked her and slipped two inside her body and stroked deep inside.

Sam watched as her body tried to arch against his arm, and he pressed down harder. He wrapped his lips around her nub and growled, the vibrations reverberated through her body, pulled a cry from her throat. He felt Mackenzie wrap her hands in his hair and she pulled him closer, pressed her body further into his face, and he grinned against her body. Sam could feel the shudders that had started to wrack her body, and he slipped in a third finger; he curled all three and growled while he sucked her. He wanted to feel her come undone in his arms.

Mackenzie tried to fight at the same time she tore at his hair to pull him closer. Cries fell from her lips as her body exploded in pleasure and her hips rode his hand. His name fell from her lips breathlessly, and she tried to pull his mouth away from her when he continued to lick. “I need a break,” she begged. “Sammy, please.”

He drew back, a smile on his lips at the broken pleasure in her voice while he pulled his fingers from her body and sucked them. Sam watched her, saw her eyes close, her body shuddered at the sight, and she groaned in want. He kissed her thigh softly and stroked at her skin to draw her attention; he knew he still had to give her the choice. “Mackenzie,” he said, voice low. Sam watched as she turned to stare at him, her hands gripped the bedding while she tried to focus. “It never has to go farther than this. I can help you through your heat  _ exactly  _ like this.”

She shook her head and sat up suddenly, forced him to sit up on his knees on the bed. “I need more,” she argued softly. “I need your skin against mine. I need the hormones, the proteins, everything that comes with your release, buried deep inside me… I need your knot, Sam. Please.”

He was impressed that, for as desperate as she sounded in her tone, she was also coherent with the science of her heat. His hands moved to his belt before he stepped off the bed to remove his jeans. He watched as she lay back down, her hands stretched up above her head, watching him hungrily. He crawled back into the bed, settled between her legs, and she wrapped them over his hips in invitation.

Mackenzie panted, and she felt her need rising again. She brought her arms down and draped them around his neck, pulled Sam down to meet her lips as she felt him position himself between her legs. He nipped her lip sharply and swallowed her astonished gasp, used the distraction to press himself home. Mackenzie tightened her grip on his neck while her thighs spasmed around his hips in surprise.

Sam drew back from her mouth to nuzzle her cheek for a moment once he was buried inside her, then met her eyes. He hadn’t wanted to give her time to think, worried she still might flashback, so he had taken a chance, but was now worried it might have been the wrong move. He wanted to check if she was alright, but her glazed expression and hips wriggling against him assured him that she was fine. “Are you ready for me, Mack?”

“Please,” she begged. She dragged her nails sharply down his back and felt his body jerk sharply; the smell of blood filled the air. Mackenzie knew she’d marked him.

He drew back and slammed home; a dark sound drawn from her chest as she met his hips with her own. Sam pulled back onto his knees and held her hips, thrusting into her with long, hard strokes, and watched as her breathing changed. “Oh, you want to come again, don’t you, Mack?” he asked, eyes narrowed.  She nodded, her hands coming up to play with her breasts and squeeze her nipples. Sam could feel his knot as it started to swell; it caught with each thrust into her body, and she groaned at the feeling. “Touch yourself; I won’t give you my knot until you come, Mack.”

She whined, one hand slipped down to touch him as she rode her; she gripped him while her thumb rubbed her clit. Mackenzie met Sam’s eyes while her other hand played at her throat; the glands on either side where a mate could bite and eventually claim her. She knew he saw the move before she reached down, used both hands; one touched herself and flicked just right, while the other continued to stroke him. Mackenzie’s back arched as pleasure shot up her spine and she cried out.

Sam grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the bed next to her head, his hips continued to ride her until his orgasm broke over him. He heard Mackenzie cry out as his knot locked them together, and he released her wrists to cup her face in concern. “Mack?” He asked, but saw her pout, felt her hips shifting, grinding, and Sam reached between them. He stroked her carefully, knowing she was likely still sensitive, heard her let out a satisfied moan while her body spasmed and tightened around him again. He wrapped her in his arms and rolled them, careful not to hurt her, then looked down at where she was settled against his chest. Sam pulled a pillow behind his head from the top of the bed, and grabbed a blanket from the bottom of the bed to cover them, then asked, “Are you okay, Mackenzie?”

“Thank you, for understanding that cry,” she said with a small laugh. And she  _was_  grateful; Mackenzie couldn’t believe how needy she’d felt.

Sam grinned and kissed the top of her head. “I was worried I’d scared you for a second,” he replied. “I’m just glad it wasn’t that.” When she let out a satisfied groan against his chest, he touched her chin and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “How do you feel, Mack?”

“Better,” she said. “Tired… So very tired.”

“All right. Get some sleep then,” Sam advised with a small smile; something else Dean had warned him about. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Mackenzie soaked up the heat of his body and snuggled into his chest. Sleep sucked her under quickly.


	10. Chapter 10

His knot had released hours ago and without waking them, Sam had arranged Mackenzie under the covers properly. When his cell phone rang, he was glad he’d set it to vibrate, but Sam still grabbed it and headed towards the hallway so he wouldn’t wake her.

“Dean, hey,” Sam greeted in a quiet voice, already expecting the call.

“How is she?”

Sam sighed and glanced back into the room, stared at his bed while he spoke. “Sleeping, right now. How’s the case?”

“Done, finally. I’m on my way back,” Dean replied. “Couple hours out.”

“How fast are you driving?” Sam asked when he could hear the Impala’s engine roar in the background. When his brother chuckled, Sam shook his head. “Dean, we’re okay, really. Please don’t kill yourself on the way back here.” He leaned in the doorway and sighed. “I know you were busy last night, and we didn’t get the chance to talk, but… Mack and I did yesterday. Talk, I mean.”

“Yeah?” Dean asked.

Sam ran his free hand through his hair and grimaced. “About her time at the houses,” he admitted. “It was… Dammit, Dean, it was bad.” Sam heard his brother sigh, and he asked, “You alright?”

“I’m glad she’s talking,” Dean admitted. “I didn’t figure it would be with me, and I’m not surprised it’s with you. Glad you two are back to where you used to be, though.”

“What do you mean?” Sam asked in confusion.

Dean chuckled. “Sammy, even when we were younger, the pair of you were peas in a pod and could talk about anything. I mean, she could talk and take apart cars with me and Dad, but when it came to school and research, no one could match you and Bobby like Mack could. You two could geek out better than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

Sam laughed and nodded to himself while he remembered back to what his brother described; he and Mackenzie going head-to-head in debates about nearly anything they could. They’d break out books to prove the other wrong, while Dean stood off to the side and just stared at the pair of them. “Yeah, it was never boring with her around,” he agreed.

“And I know you both know that I overheard your little secret; that you kept talking after she told me off,” Dean added.

“We were worried you’d be mad if we told you,” Sam explained with a sigh.

“Sam…” Dean made his brother’s name a sigh. “Were you  _ ever  _ mad that I helped her with her heats?” he asked, his voice soft.

Sam frowned and shook his head. “No, of course not.”

“We’ve never been jealous of each other, not like that, Sammy. At least, not when it comes to Mack. Just like I know you’re with her now and it doesn’t bother me in the least. Any other alpha might be foaming at the mouth at the idea of sharing her like that,” Dean said and grinned at the idea.

“Yeah, guess that’s true,” Sam said as he laughed softly. “Why do you think that is?”

Dean shook his head and realized his brother couldn’t see. “You know, I’ve always wondered about that, too,” he admitted. “It has to be Mackenzie.”

“I thought that too,” Sam admitted. “But let’s face it, Dean; have you ever known two alphas, even brothers, to still be living together at our age?”

“No, I guess not. So, what are you saying, Sam?”

The younger Winchester shook his head. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I think maybe it’s the hunting, how we grew up; changed our perspectives, maybe? Other alphas we look at a little differently. I mean, most hunters are usually alphas, some aren’t, but not every one of them is a threat.”

“But I still wouldn’t want most of them around Mack,” Dean pointed out.

Sam growled softly and nodded. “Agreed.” He ran a hand through his hair as he remembered something he wanted to tell his brother. “Dean, when we… Mack was rubbing at her neck; at her claiming glands. Is that something she’s done before?”

“Not normally, no. That’s definitely new,” he replied with a small frown while he thought back.

“It was only for a second, and she stopped as soon as she saw I noticed, but I was curious.”

Dean nodded as a thought occurred to him. “Has she eaten anything?”

Sam frowned and ran a hand through his hair. “Not since dinner last night. Damn.”

“It’s okay; she wouldn’t be thinking of it, and I know she wouldn’t let you think of much else,” Dean said with a smile. “I just know she’s bad for it; always was. Whenever she wakes up, make her eat before anything else happens. Water too, or an energy drink. Mackenzie gets…set on things, and tends to forget about, ya know, food.”

Sam snorted softly. “No wonder you always came back from her heats so damned tired; you were looking after more than just sex with her,” he said almost to himself.

“Yeah, she’s a handful,” Dean said fondly. “Stubborn as hell; works great for being a hunter, pain in the ass when she sets her mind for something and you want her to do something else, though.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sam replied. “We’re in my room, for when you get back.”

Dean nodded. “And, while you’re getting her to eat, if she manages you to talk you into any fun times in the kitchen…or anywhere else? Just wipe it all down before I get home, okay?”

“Dean, eww,” Sam replied. His brother’s laughter was the last thing he heard as Dean hung up. Sam stared at the phone in his hand and shook his head.

He wandered back over to the bed and stared at Mackenzie’s peaceful form while he set down his phone. Sam pulled back the blankets and crawled into the bed beside her, grinning when she curled into his side. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and frowned to himself when he noticed her body temperature was almost chilled; he pulled the blanket up to her shoulders as she cuddled further into the warmth of his body. Sam knew from her body temperature; her heat was over.

Mackenzie shivered and opened her eyes in confusion twenty minutes later; Sam’s skin felt warm against her face, and she knew that wasn’t right. She felt frustrated tears form and rolled away from him into a tight ball as a sob escaped her lips.

His eyes widened in worry. “Mack?” Sam worried about touching her; he had no idea what was causing her tears but didn’t want to cause her more pain.

“Why is it already over again?”

A relieved breath fell from Sam’s lips; he realized she was angry with her body for still being out of sorts. He sat up against the headboard, wrapped Mackenzie in a blanket, and pulled her across his lap, her head tucked under his chin. She was so small compared to him, and Sam cuddled her easily in his arms while she sobbed in frustration and, he suspected, truly cried for the first time since she had been rescued.

Mackenzie had no idea how long they sat there before she raised her head. The blanket under her cheek, against Sam’s chest, was soaked, and she felt sweaty. She started to reach up to wipe her cheeks, but he beat her to it, his fingers gentle as he stroked her skin. When she took a deep breath, he put a finger over her lips.

“Don’t even think of it,” Sam said with a small smile, knowing she was about to apologize for her outburst. He felt her smile against him and shook his head at her before he tapped her nose playfully. “Mack, you’re frustrated. Hell, I would be. I can’t even imagine what this is like for you. If you’re really concerned, I can call Mia, we can go and see her, and you can have some bloodwork done to see what’s happening?”

Mackenzie shook her head and growled. “No. Apparently, this will take time, from what she told Dean,” she replied darkly. “I was just hoping it wouldn’t.”

Sam nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “All right. Now, how about some food? You need to eat.”

She pulled back and stared at him, narrowing her eyes. “You talked to Dean.” When he laughed and nodded, she gave a small nod. “All right, yeah. I guess I am getting hungry.”

“How about eggs, bacon, and potatoes?” Sam offered.

“I think I need a shower first, but that sounds wonderful. I’ll meet you in the kitchen,” Mackenzie agreed. 

She kept herself wrapped in the blanket and returned to her room. Logically, she knew the boys were right; her body would sort itself out eventually. But the waiting was annoying. This was not normal for her, and given that nothing of her life had been normal for the last several years, Mackenzie didn’t think it was unreasonable to want her body back to how it used to be. At least, she knew the brothers were infinitely patient when it came to her; she was thankful for that.


	11. Chapter 11

After breakfast, Mackenzie kicked Sam out of the kitchen; he had cooked, so she insisted on doing the dishes. She put everything away, then found Sam in the library on his laptop. He glanced up when she walked in, and she hugged herself slightly. “Sam, can we go out?”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise and closed the computer screen. “Uh, yeah, of course. Where did you want to go?”

“Just…out,” she replied with a shrug. “I haven’t been outside the bunker since you guys brought me here.” Mackenzie watched the surprised realization cross his face, and she smiled at him. “I haven’t been ready until now, believe me, but... I haven’t been freely outside in years. I’d love to go for a walk?”

Sam nodded and pushed to his feet. “We can absolutely go for a walk, Mack,” he agreed softly. “We’re surrounded by woods, and there are some great paths; they’re perfect for hiking. Just let me grab a jacket.” He went to his room and texted his brother to let him know where they’d gone; Dean was due back any time, and Sam didn’t want him to worry when his brother came back and found the bunker empty.

Mackenzie followed Sam and paused when they reached outside, where she took a long, deep breath. The air was clean, and there was a slight breeze that rustled the leaves in the trees that surrounded them. She finally turned to see Sam watching her with a slight smile on his face. She blushed and asked, “Which way?”

“We’ll head down here,” he said and pointed, indicating the road.

The pair walked down, then up onto a path in a companionable silence, until they reached a small clearing with fallen trees. Sam watched as Mackenzie went to sit on one and grinned as he said, “I come out here to get a break sometimes.”

“I can see why,” she agreed. “It’s peaceful… Except it’s almost  _ too  _ quiet.”

Sam shook his head and moved to sit next to her. “You never used to hate the silence,” he said softly.

Mackenzie shivered, hugged her sweater tighter around her body, and stared out into the trees. “The rooms were pretty sound-insulated,” she admitted softly. “So, time was spent just sitting there and waiting for the next alpha. I started to dread the sound of the door handle tuning.”

He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she stood and paced away; he knew from the past that it meant she had more she needed to say and didn’t want to be comforted while she spoke. Sam saw a shadow move from the corner of his eye and reached for his gun while he turned his head, but relaxed when he saw it was Dean. Sam held out his hand wordlessly to keep him where he was; Sam didn’t want his brother to interrupt. They waited in silence; Mackenzie would speak when she as ready.

“Did you know that demons won’t make deals with anyone who is being held in an omega house?” she asked, voice so soft the brothers had to strain to hear it.

“Mack, you didn’t…” Sam said softly.

“I  _ couldn’t _ ,” she replied darkly. “I was there for months hoping someone might show up and close it down. I tried escaping, but they found… _creative_ techniques to punish me. I tried…” She stared down at her arms and rubbed at her wrists, but her voice died off and she couldn’t admit to the brothers what she had done. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat and continued, “I tried praying, but nothing happened. And, when nothing else worked, I tried to bargain for my soul. I figured that anything that they’d do to me in hell, couldn’t be any worse than anything that was happening to me in there.” Mackenzie snorted and shook her head, hugging herself as she spoke. “It didn’t matter. The demon that showed up said that, apparently, they had some kind of…other deal in place. They wouldn’t elaborate, but they wouldn’t trade. Even when I pointed out I was a hunter, and I’d wasted a bunch of their kind; it didn’t make a difference.”

“Son of a bitch,” Dean growled. He watched her hang her head, and he sighed. “Not you, sweetheart. I’ve got a bone to pick with the King of Hell, though; he knew you were alive, and where you were, and didn’t tell you, Sam?”

“His minions might not have relayed the message that she was offering her soul,” Sam said with a frown. “But yeah, not impressed. What I wanna know, though, is if you were praying, where was Cas?”

Dean sighed and shook his head. “I dunno. And he’s so damned busy with all the shit upstairs, it’s not like we can ask.”

“What am I missing?” Mackenzie interrupted, frowning between the pair. “I mean, I recognize the name Cas, from when we were emailing and calling, Sam. But… King of Hell?”

Sam ran a hand through his hair. “Right, Crowley showed up after we lost touch,” he replied. “He was the King of the Crossroads, until after we put Lucifer in his cage. Then he took over. I’ve been asking around, everywhere, to everyone, about where you were. Cas… There’s a lot going on in Heaven, so he’s hard to get in touch with.”

“If you’d been any worse off when we’d found you, or if Mia couldn’t fix you, then he was gonna get his feathery ass down here and do it, believe me. I would’ve called him until he showed up,” Dean said firmly. 

Mackenzie smiled slightly. She walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugged him firmly and breathed him in. “I know you would’ve,” she assured.

“Ready to head back?” Sam asked gently.

She sighed and looked up at Dean, then paced away slightly. “One other confession, since this place seems to make it easy,” she replied. Mackenzie glanced between the brothers, who both gave small nods, then turned her back; she couldn’t face them while she spoke. “After I told you to go to hell, Dean, when I’d go into heat, I’d pretty much lock myself into a hotel room or cabin, and wait for it to be over. I just… I didn’t like the idea of finding anyone else.” She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head. “But every now and then, on the last day, I’d go to a bar, pick up a random alpha, and just…”

“Mack, you don’t have to tell us this,” Sam said gently when her voice died off.

“It’s how they’re getting omegas for the houses, Sam,” she replied softly. Mackenzie’s face was pained when she turned to look at him. “They have alphas that they pay to go out, and pick up omegas who aren’t claimed when they’re looking to be knotted. I took him back to the hotel, and after… I never saw the needle he used to drug me, but the next thing I knew, I had a chain around my neck.”

“Son of a bitch,” Dean growled and approached her slowly. “Mackenzie, I’m sorry.”

She shook her head and smiled sadly at him. “I’m just as damned stubborn as you are; I could’ve picked up the phone and called you before it happened. It’s not like I didn’t have ways of finding your number,” she replied. “I don’t blame you. I was stupid and stubborn.”

“We both were,” he argued.

She nodded and grinned when Dean wrapped an arm around her while they trekked back to the bunker; she couldn’t argue that fact. The group settled into the library comfortably and Sam handed out beers. Mackenzie looked at the brothers and asked the question that had been on her mind. “So, what happens now?”

Dean frowned at her and asked, “What do you mean, Mack?”

“I mean, with me?” she replied. “I’ve been down to the shooting range here at the bunker…”

“You have?” Sam asked in surprise.

Mackenzie grinned and shrugged. “You went for groceries,” she replied easily.

Dean laughed. “That’s my girl!” He reached over, patted her thigh and clinked his bottle against hers. “How’s your aim?”

“As good as ever,” she admitted with a blush. “But, that’s not the point.”

“Yeah, it is,” Sam replied. “Mack, if you want back into hunting, you’re on the team. If you want to stay strictly research, you’ve got a safe home base here at the bunker. If you want nothing to do with hunting, you don’t have to go near it.”

“And if you decide you don’t want to stay with us, I’m sure Bobby won’t say no to some company for a while,” Dean added. “Or Jody; you two got along well.”

“I don’t want to leave,” she said quickly, eyes wide.

The brothers smiled. “And we won’t kick you out,” Dean assured. “Just making sure you know you have options.”

Sam watched them for a moment, before he asked, “What does everyone want for dinner?”

“Oh, after that case? Cheeseburgers, Sammy, please!” Dean groaned, his head falling back.

Mackenzie watched him and grinned, nodded in agreement. “I could go for that too.”

Sam stood with a laugh and shook his head at the pair. “All right, I’ll be back later.”

“And beer. And don’t forget my pie!!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sam agreed as he walked out.


	12. Chapter 12

Dean chuckled as he watched his brother leave and turned to Mackenzie. “How you feeling, sweetheart?”

“Frustrated,” she replied with a growl. She looked at him, a deep frown on her face. “My heat shouldn’t be over yet.”

“You remember what I told you? Your body is still…”

“Still healing, I know. It’s still a pain in the ass,” Mackenzie finished for him. She ran her hands through her hair and let out a long sigh. “My body still doesn’t feel… _ right _ . It’s just weird.”

Dean held out his hand, and when she took it, pulled her to sit across his lap. “Sammy meant it, Mack,” he said softly while he held her against him. “We’d been talking, about what I should have done, all those years ago.”

“What do you mean?”

He frowned at her and studied her closely. “You should’ve been hunting with us when you left your dad, Mackenzie. I should’ve picked up the phone a hundred times to call you, to tell you that you were good enough, and it’s not that you weren’t that I didn’t want you hunting alone. Hell, you took down things that I’ve seen alphas flinch at, and you never even blinked. It was never the fact that you’re an omega, Mack. It’s that I don’t want you hurt; and if you’re on your own, I’ll always wonder if something's happened to you.”

She smiled gently at him and shook her head. Mackenzie reached out to stroke his cheek. “Well, I’m here now. And I’m not planning on going anywhere,” she admitted. “So, I think it’s safe to say you don’t have to worry about me.”

Dean laughed and pulled her closer so he could nuzzle one side of her neck while he brought his hand up to stroke the other side. He felt her shiver in his arms while he caressed the mating glands, then pulled back to meet her eyes. “My brother told me you were playing with these during your heat,” he said softly.

Mackenzie blushed and ducked her head. “I didn’t mean to,” she murmured in reply, embarrassed.

He smiled and stroked her cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Mack,” he assured. S he leaned forward and brushed her lips against his, cupping his face and closing her eyes. Mackenzie breathed in his scent and hummed against him, her body relaxing. Dean stroked her hair as she cuddled against his chest. “Is that something you want, Mackenzie?” he asked softly.

She let out a long sigh and tried to stand, but he held her firmly. “I’d say yes, but… it’s complicated,” she replied. “Dean, I’m holding you and Sam back; neither of you have left the bunker other than for food since I got here. Not until Jacob called, and even then, you weren’t happy about leaving. You’ve readjusted your lives, you’re not hunting, and it’s all because I’m here.”

“But you’re getting better, Mack,” he replied evenly. “You won’t always need someone with you.”

“No, but if you claim me, it means you’re trapped with me until my heats are sorted out,” Mackenzie reminded him and pulled back to meet his gaze. “Right now, they’re not on a regular schedule, I’m not predictable. And I can’t do that to you. Maybe in a few months, when I’m properly healed… But not right now.”

He shook his head at her slightly. “But it’s not just me who can take care of you,” he reminded her. “Sam is here, too.”

“But if you claim me…”

Dean smiled gently at her when her voice died off. “You seem to be the exception to the rule, sweetheart.”

“So, you’re saying that you two would be all right sharing me?” she asked doubtfully, one eyebrow quirked at him.

He chuckled. “Don’t get any kinky ideas, you,” he replied and kissed her quickly.

Mackenzie shook her head at him and smiled. “That’s not what I meant!” she said with a giggle. “And I think it’s you two, more than me. You’re brothers, yeah, but you’re both dominant enough that you two shouldn’t still get along this well when a woman isn’t involved. Add me into the mix… This just shouldn’t work.” She chewed her lip and studied his face closely. “Are you sure you’re not upset that I went to Sam?”

“Mack, we’ve never had a jealous bone when it comes to you,” Dean replied with an indulgent smile. “Neither of us. And we’ve talked about it; I don’t think it’ll make a difference if you and I are mated or not. If you have a heat, and I’m not there, Sam is your safety net; and we’re both okay with that, I promise.” He hugged her tightly to him and cupped her cheek. “But neither of us will ever make you do anything you don’t want to do.”

“I know you won’t,” Mackenzie said with a small smile. “And I love you for that.” When Dean opened his mouth, she put her fingers over his lips and shook her head. “I don’t need to hear the words, I already know.”

Dean smiled and kissed her hand. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to say them,” he teased. Mackenzie leaned forward and kissed him, her tongue probing his mouth. He pulled back slightly to meet her eyes. “You’re not in heat,” he reminded her softly.

“Does that mean you don’t want me?” she asked huskily.

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his room. “Sweetheart, I never don’t want you,” Dean clarified. “I just always want to make sure that you want me.”

Mackenzie dropped to her feet and shoved slightly at him towards his bed while she laughed. “I want you, Dean,” she assured. “It’s never that I didn’t want you.”

She watched as he stripped out of his clothes and then sat back against the head of the bed, reclining against the pillows; he had taken the hint when she pushed at him. Mackenzie slowly unlaced her yoga pants and pushed them and her underwear to the floor. She toed out of her socks and pulled her t-shirt over her head, unclasped her bra, dropping everything to the floor while she met his eyes.

Mackenzie crawled onto the bed, over his body, until she knelt over his hips. He was thickening between them while she leaned forward and began sinking her teeth into the meat of his chest. She bit hard enough to leave bruises, over and over, while he cupped the back of her head until she found his lips again and slipped her tongue into his mouth. Her hands threaded into his hair while she felt his slide over her hips and up her back. This felt like so many times they’d been together before, and Mackenzie relished it. She raised up on her knees, teased him by rubbing him along her entrance without allowing him to enter.

Dean growled deep in his chest and pulled her tight against his body. He drew away from her mouth and reached down to guide himself into her, thrusting his hips up and filling her while he muttered, “I’ll let you play as much as you want once I’m buried inside you, sweetheart.”

Mackenzie laughed, but it turned into a groan when his hands gripped her hips and rotated her in circles. “Mmm, but I like it when you play too,” she replied while she grabbed his shoulders. She started to ride him, arching her back now that she wasn’t trapped against his body.

He took advantage and licked along her collarbone and nipped at her skin. “You always tasted so damned good,” he groaned as she tightened above him. Dean bit her shoulder, threaded the fingers of one hand through her hair to hold her the back of her head, while his other hand reached between them to stroke her.

She shuddered above him at his first stroke, a whine coming from deep in her chest. Mackenzie was forced to stare into his eyes as he held her head while she rode him in short, quick strokes. He wouldn’t knot her like this; neither cared. This was for pleasure, and they both knew it.

Dean could feel her begin to shiver above him, knew she was drawing close, and he pulled her close to nuzzle along her neck. He drew his teeth to scrape over the glands at her neck, heard her cry out, and asked, “Do you want this, Mackenzie?”

“Yes,” she panted. Her hands found his hair and she dug in her nails as she drew closer. “I was always yours.”

“That’s my good girl,” he growled. Dean planted his feet on the mattress and took over thrusting while he bit down into her neck. His hand held her head tightly while his teeth broke her skin in case she tried to pull away, but Mackenzie didn’t want to go anywhere.

His fingers stroked her clit faster and she cried out his name as her orgasm hit her. Mackenzie felt his tongue lick over the wound on her neck, a shiver of pain mixed with the pleasure as his hands grabbed her hips and he took over thrusting. She felt him stiffen under her and she sought out his mouth, tasting her own blood on his tongue, while his hips stuttered under her. Mackenzie continued to roll her hips while she kissed him, listening to him groan while he spilled deep inside her body.

Dean took a deep breath and pulled back from her mouth to nuzzle her cheek. He pulled from her body and slid down the sheets, keeping her tight against him. “I do love you, Mackenzie,” he said softly and kissed her forehead once they were settled.

“I love you, too,” she replied quietly.

He smiled slightly and while his fingers stroked the skin of her neck gently, other than the mark she now bore of his, the skin was smooth. A small frown crossed his face when he realized that the rest of her skin had scars, but her neck was surprisingly clean.

“The collar covered my neck,” Mackenzie whispered while her fingers traced against his chest. She felt him grow still beneath her, knew she had guessed what he was thinking correctly, and smiled slightly. “They made them wide enough so none of the alphas could get out of hand and make a claim on any of the omegas in the house.”

“I wouldn’t have asked,” he said apologetically.

“I know. But there’s no reason to keep it a secret from you,” she replied, looking up to meet his eyes. “Does it bother you, that I talk to Sam about this stuff?”

Dean shook his head and stroked her hair. “Not at all,” he replied easily. “I figure it’s not easy for you to talk about, and I don’t want to push. So, I don’t want to ask any questions.”

“You can,” Mackenzie replied quietly. “I’d tell you anything that you want to know, Dean. I know I always talked openly with your brother, but there isn’t anything I wouldn’t tell you.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and remained silent. Mackenzie stroked his face and smiled. “Sam should be back soon with food, we should shower and get dressed.”

“Wait here,” he replied. He shifted her off his body and disappeared; he returned with a warm cloth and towel. Dean crawled onto the bed and began to clean the sweat from her body gently, and he gave a long lick between her legs before he cleaned her there too. He kissed her, their combined tastes on his tongue before he pulled her to her feet.

“You’re wicked, Dean Winchester,” Mackenzie groaned at him before she pulled her clothes on.

“Yeah, but you already knew that.”

The pair were emerging as Sam came back down the stairs, hands full of food. His eyes took in the sight of them and he inhaled deeply. A smile crossed his face as he noticed the welt on Mackenzie’s neck and he nodded slightly. “Everything good?”

She grinned. “Yeah, it’s all good,” she agreed.

They settled to eat, and once she was full, Mackenzie looked at the brothers and let out a sigh. “I’m not ready to start hunting hands-on,” she said quietly, not looking up from her beer. “But I do miss the research side of it.”

Sam nodded, a grin quirking his lips as he remembered her pouring over books while Dean had been gone. “And you’re welcome to help me out with that. We both know how much Dean sucks at that part.”

“Hey, I’ve done my fair share!” Dean replied indignantly. When they both stared at him doubtfully, he said, “All right, well I’ve done  _ some _ .”

Mackenzie laughed and nodded. “Okay then; I’ll start back slowly, and help out with that.”

“And if you don’t ever want back into field work, you don’t have to,” Dean counselled. “Your pace, sweetheart.”

She stared between the brothers and let out a satisfied sigh. If this was how life worked out; she could handle it; a safe and secure home, a protective and caring mate, and her best friend back in her life. Mackenzie nodded to herself. This could work.


End file.
